Golden State

Acclaimed New York drummer Eisenstadt’s new quartet, featuring Nicole Mitchell (#1 flute, 2014 DownBeat critics poll), Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon) and Mark Dresser (double bass), continues his exploration of unusual instrumentation, taking chamber jazz further in directions suggested by Dolphy, Lateef and the AACM. The music thrives on the novel combination of off-kilter grooves, freeish tonality and knotty yet fluid composed/improvised counterpoint. The individual members are impressive improvisers, but what really counts is how these fresh 2/3/4-way conversations develop an original expressive world with its own group dynamics and affective give-and-take. Audiophile recording brings out all the piquant timbral shadings.