Trumpeter/composer
Dave Ballou
makes his debut as a leader with a fine quartet comprised of tenorist
Tony Malaby
, bassist
Michael Formanek
, and drummer
Jeff Williams
.
Ballou
's music walks a fine line between freedom and form, and his interactions with
Malaby
inevitably recall the classic front-line sound of
Ornette Coleman
and
Don Cherry
. The way this group reconciles the tradition with the
avant-garde
also recalls
Dave Douglas
' quartet with
Chris Potter
,
James Genus
, and
Ben Perowsky
varies the ensemble sound by playing fluegelhorn on
"Amongst Ourselves"
"The Great Matter,"
and playing through a mute on
"7.5."
contributes the fanfare-like
"J.W.,"
named for
, and the beautiful
"Bidu."
While the album showcases
's trumpet playing very effectively, none of the music would be what it is without the far-reaching input of all the group's members. There's often a blurring of the traditional boundary between soloist and rhythm section, clearing the way for improvised passages that seem to unite the players in a single consciousness. ~ David R. Adler