Half a century into a brilliant career is a good time to release a debut album. For veteran pianist/composer Armen Donelian, the moment seems ripe to revisit the  rst release in his treasure-laden discography, Stargazer. The recording was listened to and appreciated in Japan and Europe, but never distributed and barely heard in the United States. Featuring bass maestro Eddie Gomez and NEA Jazz Master Billy Hart on drums, the captivating and passionately lyrical trio session introduced an accomplished composer and self-possessed improviser eager to mix it up with his older peers. Released on vinyl in 1981 by the long-defunct Japanese label Atlas Records and now due for reissue by Sunnyside Records with an extra, never-before-released track, Stargazer o ers a fresh look at an artist then-emerging as a dynamic creative force.

Stargazer captures a masterly improviser stepping into his own as a player, composer and producer. In revisiting the session, he’s not feeling nostalgic. He’s o ering a glimpse at an artist in a formative stage of his development, “something I hope people will  nd of worth,” he says. An auspicious debut indeed, the album’s merit deserves to be recognized as long as jazz fans prize beauty, soul and spontaneous invention.