Tenor saxist Sam Pilnick puts together a band consisting of Max Bessesen/as, Ted Hogarth/bs, Emily Kuhn/tp, Euan Edmonds/tb, Ben Cruz/g, Meghan Stagl/p, Ben Dillinger/b and Matthew Smalligan for nine post bop originals. The horns make for rich textures, but are not held to the ensemble position, as Bessesen’s Al Konitz cool tone gets a chance in the front on the bopping “Star L aunch” and Kuhn teams up with Cruz for some rocking funk on “House of the Massives (Pismis-24)”. The horns give a velvety display without support on the fanfar-ish “A Light Year” while they sway to the beat on “Falling backwards.” Pilnick is graceful with Sagle on the gentle strides of “Constant Companion” and he broods with a bowed Dillinger on “Expanded Universe”. Woodwind pastels.
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