A pianist of rare versatility, Geri Allen returns with Grand River Crossings, the third part of a thematic trilogy that highlights her in the solo format. Here she focuses on the music and memories of growing up in Detroit. That said, definitions aren’t particularly strict: Allen was in her mid-20s when the original version of Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” came out, and her melodic take on The Beatles’ “Let It Be” is brought in because it was apparently inspired by Aretha Franklin’s version. Not surprisingly, the pianist does a great job on the Motown tunes, particularly the back-to-back tandem of Marvin Gaye’s hard-grooving “Inner City Blues” and the elegiac “Save the Children.” Yet her subtle interpretation of Smokey Robinson’s “Tears of a Clown” is transcendent in its restraint. Allen typically flies solo on these tracks, but she’s joined to great effect by trumpeter Marcus Belgrave on three (a standout is “Smart Set”) and saxophonist David Murray on one (“Itching in My Heart”). This is a musical autobiography that successfully shows us who Geri Allen is and where she’s from.