The Early Planets: The Waits / InBetween Music

Minneapolis-based jazz trio The Early Planets features the impressive talents of composer and guitarist Mike Wolter which may take listeners on a transcendent journey with their latest release, The Waits / InBetween Music. The album opens with "Tone Down Your Vibe," in which Wolter's intricate melodies float atop a Latin-like pulse. The interplay between the musicians creates an expansive and intimate soundscape, drawing the listener into the trio's world. Wolter's deftly articulated jazz groove with shifting thematic developments rides above the vibrant rhythms of bassist Cody McKinney and drummer Cory Healy who occasionally mimic and counter the primary motif while managing the pulse.

"The Chum (How Quickly You Forget)" is one of three standout pieces in which Wolter uses a wah-wah pedal with slight distortion to conjure infectious melodies, highlighting the trio's diversity and sophistication. However, with this piece, the band rekindles memories of early 1970s jazz fusion and fragments the bridge with a sense of mischief. Meanwhile, "Donkey" alters the scenario as the musicians generate a bluesy, carefree modus operandi. "False Teeth" offers a different soundscape, shaped by the guitarist's off-kilter and introspective picking, followed by jagged currents and asymmetrical ruminations topped off with a few free-form dialogues.

Wolter's writing style is concise yet expansive as if he is folding space-time to fit intricate melodies and harmonies into concise arrangements. Listeners may find themselves tapping their foot to the beat while contemplating the mysteries of the universe.

In The Waits / InBetween Music, The Early Planets have crafted an album as adventurous as it is cohesive. Mike Wolter's guitar work is a highlight, effortlessly demonstrating his ability to blend tradition with modernism. On this release, The Early Planets firmly establish themselves as visionaries of the modern jazz guitar trio format, proving that the in-between moments are where the real magic happens.