Michele Rosewoman: The Inside Out

As Michele Rosewoman and her Quintessence project evolve, the music continually reflects all the influences that have shaped this most intriguing composer and pianist. Take for example the opening minute of "The In Side Out . What sounds like a string section but is, in fact, electronics, leads to some appealingly complex writing for a frontline horn section—Mark Shim on tenor, Miguel Zenón on alto and Josh Roseman on trombone—that evanesces into view and then is gone. It promises more intrigue to follow—it's part of a work-in-progress—and then we're suddenly in a funk groove with the leader on an electronic keyboard and the ever-adventurous David Fuczyinski on guitar. These players manage to get down and take it out at the same time. The electronics never sound dated or used for their own sake—they paint the colors in which the composer finds, as she says, "mystery and intrigue .

The horns help provide a good deal of the conversation vital to the best jazz playing. "Link, for example, finds Zenón (on soprano) and Shim blending to state the quirky modern theme then musing behind the soloists. Both take strong leads that display how well they listen to everything implied and stated in the tune. Bass lines link the sections and create a most engaging modern jazz experience. But Rosewoman never seems to rest and so each tune that emerges is part of a larger story that moves forward no matter the number of "intriguing diversions.

Rosewoman is a propulsive bandleader and guides the listeners and the players on a most seductive journey—through ballads and dances and ending up doing a number on Marvin Gaye's lesser-known "Life is For Learning. It takes about as much time as an old single but the players show a true love for the groove and the music, as Rosewoman has done throughout her career and now on this terrific recording.