Pianist and keyboardist George Burton brings his compositions and approach from his idol Charles Mingus on this wide ranging album. His core team of Noah Jackson/b and Wayne Smith/dr is mixed and matched with trumpets from Terell Stafford and Jason Palmer, saxes from Tim Warfield and Chris Hemingway and guitar from Ilan Bar-Lavi.
The material all feels fresh and creative, opening with Burton’s piano melding with children’s voices on “Brown” before the warm melodies of “Song 6” are brought to the forefront by Hemingway’s alto, while Bar-Lavi joins in with the quartet for a thoughtful “From Grace to Grass.” Stafford’s horn glows to Burton’s chiming on “In Places.”Warfield and Palmer team up on an urgent read of “Bernie’s Tune” and a grooving ”Ecidnac” and the team gets pot boppy on “Ambition and Pride.” Strong writing and deep pulses make this a winner.
Inner Circle Music