Composer and arranger Charles Pillow also supplies woodwinds as he leads a deft mix of jazz and strings in a rich masala mix of tones on this album of originals and jazz standards. Of the latter, the tensile strings combined with (the late) Vic Juris on guitar for a dramatic flamenco sketch of “Don’t Explain,” and there is childlike joy amongst Pillow’s flute hovering over Mark Ferber’s drums on Tony Williams’ “Pee Wee”. The horns of Alan Ferber/tb and Scott Wendholt/tp provide a fun herky-jerky pulse to the clippety clop of Thelonious Monk’s under-performed “Osaka T” with bohemian pizzicato’s provide by the strings create a cheery “Bebe” along with Todd Groves’ rich clarinet. Of the leader’s tunes, Wendholt is sweet and Pillow’s alto is bright on the layered “While In Pass Manchac” and the team bops on a dreamy “Charlotte and Evan”. The textures are pastoral and always mix the colors well, making each song a holistic idea, with nary a sense of gimmickry. The rainbow of sounds glows and glistens.