Here are modern musings from important ivory carvers.
Glenn Zaleski composes most of the pieces for his team of Adam O’Farrill/tp, Lucas Pino/ts, Desmond White/ b and Allan Mednard/dr on this collection of post bop readings. Guitarist Yotam Silberstein joins in for a gentle and romantic “BK Bossa Nova” that has the horns swaying, and extra horns add long tones to the soft “Subterfuge”. Zaleski’s hands are rich for the chords as he builds up on “Smoke and Mirrors” and gives a dash up optimistic Vince Guraraldi on “Road Life” with Pino’s rich tenor in the front as well as on the languid “Strange Meadowlark”. Clean and crystalline.
Cathlene Pineda composes for the quartet of trumpeter Kris Tiner, drummer Tina Raymond and drummer David Tranchina for a collection of reflective moods. She gives a gentle solo intro to the post bop “Milo” and she dances together with Tiner on the pulsating “Wonder Weeks”. Tiner sounds like vintage Miles Davis when muted on the misty “Carriers I” with the team ending in a frantic mode on “Wild Geese IV”. Pineda’s fingers plead on “Rainbow Baby” and recline on “1 Nine”. Art gallery sounds.
Leader Rajiv Jayaweera plays drums and percussion, but he employs pianist Aaron Parks for this collection of his originals and he displays his wares wonderfully along with a team of Chris Cheek/ts-ss, Lara Bello/voc, Hugh Stuckey/g and Sam Anning/b. Bello and Cheek’s tenor float in unison like a morning mist on the title tune. Jayaweera and Parks bounce well on the post bopper Malkoha Bird” and create droplets of dew during “Nilus”. Cheek’s soprano hovers over the leader’s cymbals on the serene title peace and “Ellstandissa” has Jayaweera coaxing Cheek, Parks and Bello along in a unison gallop. Original tones.