Israeli-bred flutist Joe Melnicove delivers some free thinking post bop with tenor sax legend George Garzone along with the swinging team of Ben Street/b and Billy Hart/dr on a collection of sophisticated originals. Pianist Jerry Bergonai sits in for the breathy ballad of “Sky Shines On August Sunday, with Garzone filling the room. Besides that, there are a pair of “Monday Night” vignettes that are floating rubatos coaxed by Hart’s cymbals, and some frisky freebop on the earthy “Reckless” and the dancing “Sketch/Graphite” that meld rich harmonics with dancing drives.
Some Middle Eastern moods are mystical on an exotic “Between Two Cities” that also spotlights Hart’s beat, and the leader floats on the dreamy “Air Flow” over Street’s palpable pulse. Muscular music with exciting white knuckler curves.