Pianist/composer Lisa Hilton’s last album was a rich solo excursion; this time out she returns to her small group format with compatriots Gregg August/b, Rudy Royston/dr, JD Allen/ts and Terell Stafford/tp for a focus on home grown material. She and the rhythm team create a dark groove for the horns on “Hot Summer Samba” her Satie-esque touch is complemented by Stafford on “Zero Gravity.” Allen’s thick sound broods with the leader on “Too Hot” while in trio form, Hilton is excitingly edgy during “Another Everyday Adventure” while showing her swinging digits on “Meltdown.” Her compositions are impressive and deserve interpretations by others, such as the reflective “29 Palms” while her own reading of “On A Clear Day” is wonderfully dreamy. A Great Escape.