A good quartet release, featuring
Juris on guitar,
Phil Markowitz on piano,
Jay Anderson on bass, and
Matt Wilson on drums.
Juris' originals range from the angular free bop of "Mergatroid" to the breezy jazz waltz of "Sim 95," to the dark balladry of "Berlin" and the intriguing 7/4 syncopation of "Bravo Rio" (the latter two performed beautifully on acoustic guitar).
Tom Harrell's "Sail Away" and
John Coltrane's "26-2" are inspired covers, posing starkly different improvisational challenges and showcasing the band's versatility and depth.
Markowitz is characteristically dazzling, his acoustic piano balancing
Juris' penchant for signal processing; their duo reading of "Sweet and Lovely" is a highlight. At times
Juris' chorus-laden sound can grow wearying; when he finally shuts off the effect for the closing trio piece, "I'll Close My Eyes," his ideas come through more clearly. That said, his occasional use of a guitar-synth pickup results in some very novel phrasing.