NEW RELEASES : In Brief

*** Contemporary Piano Ensemble, “The Key Players,” Columbia. Putting five pianists in one studio is a risky venture, yet these men display enough empathy to pull it off. A highlight is Bobby Timmons’ “Moanin’, “ for which four Blakey alumni--Donald Brown, Mulgrew Miller, James Williams, Geoff Keezer--interact effectively while the fifth pianist, Harold Mabern, lays out. Christian McBride’s bass and Tony Reedus’ drums flesh out these generally bright collaborations.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good, recommended), four stars (excellent). Five star ratings are reserved for classic reissues.