Skip Grasso: Becoming

If guitarist Skip Grasso's name was not so prominently displayed on the album cover, a listener would be hard-pressed to ascertain that Becoming was his gig. Yes, Grasso does bring a lot to the table, but no more than pianist Anthony Pocetti, bassist Harvie S or drummer Billy Drummond who together round out Grasso's impressive quartet.

Grasso has chosen an interesting title for the album, as "becoming" can mean "a process of change" or "gee, that looks good on you." Grasso opts for the first definition, writing that "a jazz musician is always in a state of becoming," a precept that does not easily lend itself to argument. Grasso's compositions—there are eight numbers on the album, all of which he wrote—are "becoming" in the "looks good" sense of the word, and well-played by Grasso and his talented bandmates.

Patterns and tempos range from ballad to blues to burners with a saucy samba ("Don't Forget") adding spice to the menu. Pentatonic chords underscore the opening "Belew's Knot," which Grasso notes is a salute to the music of Kenny Wheeler. The ballad "Harvie Livingston Seagull," Grasso says, "creates the image of a seagull in flight." While that is debatable, its lovely melody leads to the equally engaging "Three Simple Truths" and the melodious "Don't Forget."

A second ballad, the alluring "Canto Belo," gives Harvie S ample blowing space, after which the light-hearted "Garry on a Bike Ride" tips the cap to pianist Garry Dial. "For Lou Lou, Where Ever You Are," a mid-tempo sonnet written for Grasso's wife, Louise, leads to the buoyant finale, "Spring Forward." Grasso is a nimble soloist, as is every member of the group; and with Harvie S and Drummond in charge, the rhythm section is in the best of hands. The versatile Pocetti plays acoustic piano much of the way, organ on "Three Simple Truths" and "Don't Forget," and electric piano on "Harvie Livingston Seagull."

On the one hand, there is nothing here that is less than "becoming"; on the other, even the quartet's best moments are a stride or so short of memorable. This is simply very good music, ably performed by Grasso and his mates, and thus "very good" must be the verdict.