Review: Rare spotlight role for superb pianist Matt Rollings

MattRollings,“MattRollingsMosaic” (Dualtone Records)

A sideman is the frontman on “Matt Rollings Mosaic.”

Rollings earned the shot at center stage with his stellar career as a session pianist. He has performed on hundreds of recordings with artistsrangingfromMaryChapinCarpenter to Motley Crue, and won the Academy of Country Music Award for pianist of the year 10 times.

NowRollingsisreleasinghisown album, the first under his name sincehisdebutin1990.It’snotreally a solo set because it features plenty ofstarpower,withWillieNelson,Alison Krauss and Lyle Lovett among those singing lead. The title “Mosaic” reflects the range of the material,andalsoRollings’abilitytomultitask — he produced and arranged the album, and co-wrote two songs.

“That Lucky Old Sun” has piano bar playfulness while featuring Nelson, Lovett and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. “Slumber My Darling” is a Disney-style Irish lullaby sung by Heidi Talbot. “Wade In the Water” becomes Broadway gospel with help from the War and Treaty and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

And then there’s the album’s highlight, a typically luminous performance by Krauss on the sittingroom ballad “Stay.” It was co-written by Rollings and Alisan Porter, the 2016 winner on “The Voice.”

Rollings plays with such nuance thathispianoassumesasupporting role even on his own record. There are no showboat solos, but there are plenty of piano phrases that are by turns handsome and pretty as the set becomes an entertaining celebration of a most accomplished accompanist.

DUALTONE MUSIC VIA AP This cover image released by Dualtone Music shows “Matt Rollings Mosaic” by Matt Rollings.