The quartet INNERrOUTe states that its purpose is to be “deeply rooted in jazz, while creating genre-bending journeys in free improv.” Together, Michael D’Agostino/dr/perc, Rick savage/tp-fh, Joe Vincent Tranchina/key and Bill McCrossen/b do a yeoman’s job of delivering on their promise.
Some of the moods and pieces feel like a free form musical food fight, as on “Consensual Motion,” with the relentless riff sounding like a warning from outer space, while on “The Road Traveled” the team goes deep into the hip pocket with Savage crooning over the deep groove. The team glows like a hologram on the sleek and vibrant mellower tunes such as “First Prayer” and “Grace” with the latter having a wondrous mix of McCrossen’s bass and Tranchina’s droplets of keyboard. They do like to have their moments of frivolity, however, and they take you on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride on “Home and Deranged,” but you do hang in there with them due to their inherent lyricism.