There used to be a musical category called “Adult Contemporary” that basically meant “too strong for smooth and too melodic for wild jazz”. Drummer Ross Pederson fits right in that category on this album with Donny McCaslin/ts, Dave Cook/p-key,Julian Pollack/p-B3 and Sam Minaie/b. The tunes are all exciting, catchy, adventurous but also accessible.
The two keyboardists create thick textures, giving lots of framework for McCaslin on the majestic “Anxiety” and the blue gospel’d ”Contemplation”. Minaie and Pederson lock in hard on the big soul’d beat of “Strange Things” and create an R&B p l use for they synthy “In The Moment”. The sparks fly heights with Dairy Queen swirl of McCaslin and keyboards on the climactic “Hope Uplift” while you might think you’re back in the 80s on the Atari upbeat of “Somewhere in The World”, and what’s with that rap on “Bigger Than That”? Still, a winner for those who like their jazz with a groove.