Pianist and composer Bartosz Hadala leads a post bop team of Michael Manring/b, Brad Cheeseman/b, Marito Marques/dr, Luis Deni/as, Kelly Jefferson/ts, Eric St-Laurent/g and Joao Frade/acc through an eclectic collection of originals.
The rhythm team is able to deliver funky feels as on the backbeating “Preludejavu” and percussive “True North X” while Marques gives some quirky angles on the ricocheting “Monk’s Unfinished Symphony” and “A Letter To My Father”, which also features Jefferson’s sweet soprano. The team gives a Miles Davis ESP feel on the lithe “EST”, with some nice bass work on the sublime “Once Upon A Time”, with a return to the theme with Frade adding extra bohemia on the closing “Epilogue” version. Well created themes with enough muscle and music to satisfy brain and brawn.