Drummer Jack Mouse and sax/cornetist Scott Robinson avoid all of the potential pitfalls of free form duets on this collection of musical conversations. First avoided pitfall: Most songs are between 3-5 minutes, so the ideas stay fresh in the mind without getting too indulgent or startospheric. Second, Robinson switches from tenor sax to C-Melody to e-flat clarinet and even whips out the cornet to keep the milieu varied and interesting. Last and most important, both these guys know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em, so the songs are actually quite melodious, and when they do go into the more adventurous highways as on “Shapeshifter” or the title track the changes in dynamics seem cogent and logical. Other than that, you get Mouse laying down a slithering groove on ”Bolero Incognito” while some reeds and drums collide in a 21st Century version of Goodman and Krupa on “Backward Glance.” Robinson has some fun with reed sounds on “Orcan” while some toe tapping ends on a joyful “FreeBop.” Adventurous yet accessible.
Tall Grass Records