David Blake Quartet: Radio Casual

To gain a clear picture of the sort of high-caliber straight-ahead jazz Canadian-born, Brooklyn-based guitarist David Blake's quartet has to offer on Radio Casual, go directly to "Nut Bread," the second track, bypassing the more offbeat, effects-enhanced opener, "Jonas with a View" (the "Jonas" presumably a reference to the group's drummer, Jonas Esser). There is one other outlier, the shadowy "Dew Sweeper," but as Blake wrote and arranged every number, he quite obviously charted every course, plain-speaking or otherwise.

Blake's ensemble started life as a trio with bassist Warren Louie, before adding pianist Dabin Ryu—an astute and impressive move. Everyone works well together, and Ryu's professionalism would serve her well in any framework. She is a strong and creative soloist whose comping is spot-on.

As for Blake, his sound is clean and charming, his solos bright and uncluttered. He always knows where he is going and consistently maps the proper course to arrive there. And as is true of many gifted artists, he makes the voyage seem deceptively easy—especially when backed by an alert and vigilant supporting cast.

Blake's compositions are by and large sunny and genial, from the lyrical "Day Fifteen" to "Early Bird Newsstand," "Into the Marsh" and the far-from-casual title song, on which everyone digs in hard. There is one dedication, to legendary fellow guitarist Joe Pass.

Radio Casual is Blake's fourth album as leader of his own ensemble, and he is definitely moving in the right direction. Nowhere near "household name" stature yet, but he has ample time to make that happen.