Possessed of a touch that encompasses all ranges of dynamics and feeling, and gifted with a prolific imagination besides, Matthew Goodheart is one of the finest young free jazz pianists working in the early 21st century. Unlike other virtuoso pianists who seem incapable of playing a secondary part, Goodheart apparently feels no need to dominate every moment. Certainly he's capable of being the center of attention -- indeed, he thrives in the role -- but Goodheart is just as adept at being a smaller part of a greater whole. He's a fine ensemble pianist, the ultimate team player. And on this one he has quite a team. The late tenor saxophonist Glenn Spearman had a sound that was redolent of late-period Coltrane, though Spearman's melodic concept was considerably more linear. On tunes like "Invocation I," Spearman plays lightning quick and slippery as an eel in a bowl of Jell-O. Yet at times he's almost reticent, compared with how he played on his own records. Such self-effacement suited him well. Bassist Lisle Ellis plays here with uncommonly good taste; his tone is rather blunt and to the point. There's an attractive drum-like quality to his playing. Drummer Donald Robinson is a deep listener. He finds his place within the group sound and plays it for all it's worth. Robinson plays waves of rubato rhythms with a light-handed strength that drives and complements the playing of the leader. He's perhaps a bit under-recorded in relation to the piano, but an imperfect mix is an inevitable byproduct of a music as energetic as dense as this. Goodheart's playing is above and beyond criticism. He has a manifest classical bent, but lacks nothing in terms of swing and drive. The pieces seem fully improvised (to be sure, little direction is needed when you're dealing with improvisers of such superb instincts as these). Most are duets between Goodheart and the other individual members; these are interesting in their own right, but sparks really fly during the two extended cuts that feature the full ensemble. Goodheart's final sparse and meditative (mostly) solo piece is an elegant coda to a consummate example of jazz-based free improvisation.
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