This *$#t is amazing.....I mean....who wrote this stuff??  Damn....I really love it....continue to hear new layers with every listen...My only question now is?  When are these guys coming to Detroit?  Guess I have to just wait for the next record.  Seriously everybody, this is some stellar music, very original and straight up sick.  A journey from top to bottom, you WON"T be disappointed.
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That is not at all meant as derragatory in any way, but if fact, as very much so a high compliment!  

This is some of the most enjoyable jazz music that I've heard in quite a while.  I can visualize Al Capone walking the streets of Chicago, with this playing as the background music.  It just has that Mr. Big quality to it, without being presumptuous at the same time.  These guys got it going on!

The only regret is that it is WAY too short!  Granted 3 of the 4 songs are over 6 minutes, with 4 being over 10, but they never get boring, tiresome, and in fact, left me wanting even more to the piece.  But then that is what makes this quite the little masterpiece:  no fat to trim, just the prime cuts.  If you like Jazz at all, then you will surely enjoy this one!
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The record sounds like a surreal Kafkaesque stroll down Venice boardwalk on a misty moon-drenched early morning about 4am.....
or something like that.... It was great to hear all that brass and reeds for a change... This is a project that all good musicians needs to do in their lifetime... a pure artistic release without music industry constraints... a real work of art...!!!
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Dan Ostermann, the brain and trombonist of the ensemble, has a very visual way of writing music.  He says that he "writes with the big screen in mind," and yes, these compositions would absolutely make a pair with the right types of films, the more abstract yet timeless films which dig way, way down (David Lynch and Darren Aronofsky come to mind).  The music is fusion at it's best, with the restraint and the understated character that come with cool, yet with fantasy, humor, a bit of eeriness and, for lack of a better word, balls.  Figures and diversions move with grace and ease, the broken rhythms and clustered statements penetrating directly with their bright edges and solid weight.  Notable musicians include trumpeter Todd Simon, who improvises fearlessly, even aggressively, and the fine-tuned and inventive rhythm section, particularly drummer Tony Austin and bassist Kaveh Rastegar (although at certain fascinating moments nearly the entire ensemble could be considered a rhythm section).  The curious and striking "Flip" is a standout, the writing and playing clever, vibrant, and energetic.  Other tracks are also gems, slightly more elusive but equally sophisticated and eloquent.   Personally, I would love to see a film made TO this album.  It feels very instinctive, and provides great fuel for the imagination with it's surprising changes, thoughtful solo passages, and lush but distorted soundscapes, like each track could be the subject of a different 15-minute short.  In any case, let's hope to hear more from this gifted musician, whether accompanied by film... or just continuing to imagine it.
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