Brian Landrus brings together an all star lineup with pianist Fred Hersch, drummer Billy Hart, bassist Drew Gress, Michael Rodriguez on trumpet and a sleek string team of sara Caswell/vi, Joyce Hammann/vi, Lois Martin/va and Jody Redhage-Ferber/cel for a rich mix of post bop and lovely chamber moods.
Landrus switches between the low tones of baritone sax or bass clarinet with the lighter alto and C flutes throughout, making for rich tones and moods throughout. His clarinet broods on a solo rendition of “’Round Midnight” and his bari duet with Hersch for “Ruby, My Dear” is a gorgeous and glorious summit. Hersch is in a Chopinesquely swinging mood the entire time, digging into Hart’s high hat on “The Wait” melding with the fragrant strings on the warm “Clarity In Time” and sublime alongside Rodriguez during “The Signs.” The strings never get in the way, symbiotically breezing along the graceful “The Miss” and cheerfully adding pep to “The Second Time”. Landrus’ flute melds well to Rodriguez’s muted horn on the waltzing “The Night Of Change” and he reaches magma on the bass clarinet during “For Now”. This is not the first album by this guy that has caught my eye-is he EVER going to come to So Cal? Seeing needs to help believing.