Alto saxophonist Rob Brown is fiercely exploratory in the context of free jazz, yet his personal vocabulary bears traces of bebop, funk, and intense lyricism. CROWN TRUNK ROOT FUNK finds Brown flanked by longtime collaborator and bassist William Parker, drummer Gerald Cleaver, and keys player Craig Taborn. Together these players operate at the quantum level of musical telepathy, weaving interlaced sonic webs of rhythm and tonal color shot through with wild improvisatory gestures. A mesmerizing work, CROWN TRUNK ROOT FUNK is a case study in the vitality of contemporary free jazz.