Drummer Matt Slocum uses his working trio of Gerald Clayton/p and Massimo Biolcati/b as a foundation for a pair of tenor saxes on his most recent release. Except for Pat Metheny’s “Is This America?” (which seems to be a universal theme these days), all the tunes are penned by the leader and display an impressive and thoughtful pen. The twin tenors of Walter Smith III and Dayna Stephens join together for a solitary “black Hills” that has some agitated bop serving as a base for the twin horns. Otherwise, Smith gets melancholy on “Pine Ridge” and gently rumbles on “Ghost Dance” while Stephens flows like a river on “black Elk’s Dream” and floats over Slocum laconic cymbals on “A Disappearing Path.” Slocum knows when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em, a must for a drummer who (unlike some political leaders) actually can lead from behind.
Chandra Records