Jimmy Weinstein: This Ocean

Recorded on April 11, 2005 in New York, this quartet session brings four creative artists together for a program of impressions relating to the never-ending majesty of our Earth's oceans. Flowing seamlessly together with an intuitive cohesiveness, the musicians travel the Seven Seas to find encounters with a wide array of natural oceanic characteristics.

What makes their journey different from an actual ocean voyage (or hours of watching nature films) is the freedom with which Jimmy Weinstein's quartet goes about its business. Bassist Masa Kamaguchi provides a throbbing undercurrent that helps propel the unit, while Weinstein tosses out various percussion textures for color.

The quartet's two predominant voices, of course, are trumpeter Natsuki Tamura and pianist Satoko Fujii. Neither of them holds back. The trumpeter is stronger than usual, bringing forceful open tones to the meeting. Fujii, who travels the full dynamic range of her instrument, takes charge and leaves very little to fate. She and Tamura are convincingly persuasive as they float lyrically through storm fronts, placid waters, choppy seas and anxious attacks. High tide and low tide have no effect as they traverse these seas with characteristic impressions.

During his long ocean voyage to the new world, Christopher Columbus must surely have encountered similar natural phenomena. The images are timeless. The impressions left by Weinstein's quartet, however, don't come around nearly as often. Creative music such as theirs only comes around when the chemistry between people is right; it's not by coincidence.