I gotta be honest with you. After listening to the first intriguing instrumental on this album by drummer Trevor Anderies and then the following title track which includes the Grade B Maple Syrup voice of Dwight Trible, I was ready to put this on my list for one of the best releases of the year. The team of Jonathan Armstrong/ts, Gavin Templeton/as-fl, Brian Walsh/bcl, Daniel Rosenboom/tp, Rory Cowal/p and David Tranchina/b mix creative, alluring and exciting music on the former, with solos by the deep reeds gloriously gurgling over the fascinating rhythms. Trible’s contribution on “Shades of Truth” is a wonder to behold. A couple mis-steps take place with a cacophonic opening to “Thunder” that barely recovers, and “Vermillion” loses a bit of steam, barely making the finish line. After that, everything returns to plan, with a 13 minute journey on “Lenny” that has Trible take you in and out of a variety of moods and settings; the band shifts colors like a fascinating musical kaleidoscope as if you were on a jazz version of a Disney ride. This band has something to offer, and even if you get a bit lost a couple of times, the band always has you landing on your feet.
Nine Winds Records