Trio leader and alto saxist Jeff Pearring declares in the liner notes that he, bassist Adam Lane and drummer Tim Ford have a goal to “push this trio’s boundaries of musical expression.” And push they do on these nine originals and a single cover. That sole piece is Duke Ellington’s obscure “Blue Pepper,” and it is a sauntering gem that show’s Sound’s tone and the rhythm team’s pulse in the best light. On electric bass, Lane gives a hip bopper to a Weather Reportish “Plugin Heavy” with a like-minded sound on a synthy “Plugin Light.” The team is funky for “Effective translation” while “Through Step” has Pearring freeing up into deep sub-tones over the groove.
Lane’s bow goes angular on “Gather and Go” and the three part “Sweet Sci-Fi Suite” mixes echoes, eerie space sounds and alien tones. Pearring stays on the bright side of the horn on an intro to the warm “Sunday” with Ford giving militaristic paradiddles on “The March of the Aggressive Pedestrian.” Not combusting, but pretty spontaneous.