Pianist Yago Vazquez teams up with Scott Lee/b and Jeff Hirshfield/dr for 11 originals of post bop. The team is quite cohesive, working as a communicative unite as Hirshfield’s cymbal dances on “Passing By” and wafts impressionism with Lee’s bass on “Gratitude” while his brushes relax to the various moods on “As If.” Piano and bass converse well on the restless “I’m Pretty Sure I’m Right…Dear” and are nimble on the pulsating “Cue Ball.” The team can also create a hip groove as the signatures change on “Displaced.” A nice relay team fit for track and field.
Pianist Omer Klein delivers a Baker’s dozen originals with Haggai Cohen-Milo/b and Amir Bresler/dr. He shows his glassy and glossy touches on the romantic “Wonder and Awe” and clever “One Step at a 
Time” while creating a mix of sky and stars on the gentle “ Each and Every Child.” The team gets soft and dreamy on “Josephine” while get into a nice case of overdrive on the danceable “Mixtape” and sow a bit of spunk and funk on “Hookup.” Klein’s pen is as mighty as his sword, as h is comp skills on “One Step at a Time” and “Sleepwalkers” display depth and creativity. Impressive foray!
Tenor saxist Keith Oxman leads a boogaloo-ing B3 trio with J eff Jenkins/b3 and Todd Reid/dr through a collection of grooving standards and some original material. Of the latter, the team has funk kicking out the jams as they wail through “A Vaunt Guard” while the tenor and Leslie’s groan and wail. Oxman’s tenor is beefy with no gristly on the rich “Lucky To Be Me” and warm “Deep In A Dream” and blows bubbles on the warm “Bye Bye Baby.” Meanwhile the rhythm team his as hip as a hippo on “Brothers Michel and Jean-Marc” and boogie till they puke on “(I’ve Got) Beginner’s Luck” and the title track. Grab the handle and hang on tight!
Pianist Ben Rosenblum displays a warm and graceful touch with a homage to vintage bebop on this collection with Curtis Lundy/b and Billy Hart/dr. He floats over Lundy’s bass on his own “Far Back” and uses space as a sound on the peaceful “And Then It’s Gone” flowing with delight like droplets on “Because It’s Raining.” Hart gently nudges with the ride cymbal on randy Weston’s “Saucer Eyes” and the team bops the blues on Sonny Clark’s Nica” and closes out with a strutting read of “When Love Was You and Me” right after the leader wafts on the ivories with minimal support on a luscious read of “Single Petal of a Rose.” Got the hands of a diamond cutter here.