There are handsome features for Olmos ("Olmos Def") and Barics ("F.U.R.B.," on which he seems to be playing soprano as well as tenor). Markowitz is a standout on "Buttercup," Jewkes ditto on "Jo Co & Co." and "Saturn," the last of which, even though described in the liners as a "startlingly vivid Sun Ra Soundscape," is pretty much straight-ahead and swinging, with buoyant unison passages for the horns and earnest statements from Jewkes, Johnson, Cohen, Olmos and Sawyer.

This is an excellent group led by a talented young arranger whose garden-fresh blueprints deserve to be more widely heard and appreciated.

Tracks and Personnel

The Comet's Tail

Tracks: Peep; Slings and Arrows; Itsbynne Reel; How Long 'Til the Sun; Sumo; The Mean Time; Take a Walk; Everything Happens When You're Gone.

Personnel: Chuck Owen: director, arranger; Chad Shoopman, Mike Iapichino, Jay Coble, Tom Parmenter: trumpet; Tami Danielsson, Valerie Gillespie, Jack Wilkins, Ray Wertz, Matt Vance: reeds; Keith Oshiro, Tom Brantley, Jerald Shynett, Jim Hall: trombone; Lowell Adams (4): cello; Per Danielsson: piano; LaRue Nickelson: guitar; Mark Neuenschwander: bass; Danny Gottlieb (1-5, 8): drums; David Coash (3, 4): percussion. Special guest artists—Randy Brecker (1, 4): trumpet; Dave Liebman (5-7): tenor, soprano sax; Joe Lovano (7, 8): tenor sax; Mike Mainieri (7): vibes; Adam Nussbaum (6, 7): drums; Mike Stern (1, 6): guitar; Rob Thomas (3-5): violin.

Close Encounter

Tracks: Lauri; Si Son Rosas; Close Encounter of the 4th Kind; Connections; Triple; El Circo; Agua Tinta; Sundown.

Personnel: Bert Joris: composer, arranger, music director, conductor; Michael Zisman: bandoneon; Stephen Geiser, Johannes Walter, Daniel Woodtli, Thomas Knuchel: trumpet, flugelhorn; Adrian Pflugshaupt: alto, soprano sax, flute; Juerg Bucher: alto sax, clarinet; Till Gruenewald: tenor sax, clarinet; Klaus Widmer: tenor sax; Marc Schoedler: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Vincent Lachat, Stefan Schlegel, Andreas Tschopp: trombone; Reto Zumstein: bass trombone; Philip Henzi: piano; Lorenz Beyeler: bass; Tobias Friedli: drums.

Groove's Mood

Tracks: Groove's Mood; Brasilia; Wade in the Water; You Are the Sunshine of My Life; Tenderly; The Soulful Mister Timmons; Sky Dive; The Black Coming (Kidnapped / Servitude / Jubilation / Enslaved); My Cherie Amour; You Are the Sunshine of My Life.

Personnel: Eddie Allen: composer, arranger, director, trumpet solos (5, 7, 9); Kevin Bryan, Cecil Bridgewater, Guido Gonzales, John Bailey: trumpet, flugelhorn; David Glasser: alto sax, flute; Tia Fuller: alto, soprano sax, flute; Patience Higgins: tenor sax, flute; Jay Brandford: tenor sax, flute, alto flute; Howard Johnson: baritone sax; Clifton Anderson, Sam Burtis, Isrea Butler: trombone; Jack Jeffers: bass trombone, tuba; Bruce Barth: piano; Dwayne Burno: bass; Carl Allen: drums; LaTanya Hall (4, 9): vocals.

Le Jazz Hot

Tracks: Le Petit Fleur; Le Petit Fleur; Le Creation du Monde; Creataloop; Blues to Bechet; Le Petit Fleur; Variations on a Theme by Frank Poulenc; Pablo's Story; Le Petit Fleur.

Personnel: Bill Warfield: conductor, arranger, trumpet; Bob Millikan, Danny Cahn, Tony Kadleck, Dave Ballou: trumpet; Dave Riekenberg, Bob Hanlon, Joel Frahm, Alex Stewart: reeds; Tim Sessions, Chris Olness: trombone; Tim Harrison: piano; Mike Richmond: bass; Grisha Alexiev: drums. Special guest artists—Dave Liebman: soprano, tenor saxophone; Vic Juris: guitar.

Eddy Loves Frank

Tracks: Night School; Echidna's Arf (Of You); Regyptian Strut; Don't You Ever Wash That Thing?; Dupree's Paradise; What's New in Baltimore; Let's Move to Cleveland; America the Beautiful.

Personnel: Ed Palermo: leader, arranger, alto sax; Ronnie Buttacavoli, John Hines, Steve Jankowski, Steven Jankowski: trumpet; Cliff Lyons: alto sax, clarinet; Phil Chester: alto, soprano sax, flute, piccolo; Bill Straub: tenor sax, clarinet; Ben Kono: tenor sax, flute, oboe; Barbara Cifelli: baritone sax, bass clarinet, E-flat mutant clarinet; Charles Gordon, Joe Fiedler: trombone; Matt Ingman: bass trombone; Bruce McDonald: guitar, vocal (8); Ted Kooshian: Kurzweil organ; Bob Quaranta: piano; Paul Adamy: electric bass, fretless bass (8); Ray Marchica: drums. Special guests—John Palermo (2, 3, 6): mandolin; (8) guitar, mandolin; Rob Paparozzi (7): bass harmonica; Veronica Martell (8): vocal.

8 Legged Monster

Tracks: Or Something; Bait; Goodbye; Saturn; Mood Indigo; Olmos Def; Jo Co & Co. / Sonny's Tune; F.U.R.B.; Buttercup.

Personnel: Mike Irwin Johnson: leader, guitar, arranger; Mike Olmos: trumpet; Danny Grewen: trombone; Joe Cohen: alto sax; Rob Barics: tenor sax, clarinet; Noel Jewkes: tenor sax; Fil Lorenz: baritone sax; Eric Markowitz: bass; Jaz Sawyer (1-4, 8), Vince Lateano (5-7, 9): drums; Karina Denike (3): vocal.

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