Ten years after being recorded in New York during the spring of 2008, the aptly named Flaneur (Stroller) is finally available for the aficionados of dreamy and demanding jazz. Surrounded by drummer Paul Motian, double bass player Larry Grenadier and pianist Russ Lossing, Michael Adkins acts more subtly than what you would expect. Because the exchanges he offers here with his accomplices are almost supernatural. The sax/piano/bass/drums quartet has been assembled, disassembled, reassembled in every possible way for decades, and yet, the Canadian saxophonist manages to sound different. And like his colleague and elder Charles Lloyd, his sound offers oneiric sensations that are way above average. It’s hard not to embrace such a welcoming approach. It’s a sensitivity that perfectly suits the playing of (the late) Paul Motian, still as impressive in his restraint and the pertinence of his interventions. A beautiful record. © MZ/Qobuz