Warm toned trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson leads a band wit Miles Okazaki/g, David Virelles/p, Keith Witty/b and Damion Reid/dr. The attractive quality about this collection of originals is the contrast between the leader’s gentle and melancholy quarter to long tones and the tricky and complex underpinnings of rhythm section. Reminiscent of the fusion band Gentle Giant, songs like “Circus” and “Tensegrity” combine ricocheting drum and bass work with clearly delineated lines by trumpet and guitar, while Virelles’ splashy piano bounces over the current on “Le Bas-Fond” Okazaki’s guitar provides droplets of notes while Reid’s cymbals sprinkles like a spring drizzle on “Carthage” and piano with trumpet hop like toads on lily pads on “Ruy Lopez.” The contrast of sweet and sour makes for delicious ingestion.
Pi Recordings