***1/2 Drew Gress and Jagged Sky

HEYDAY

(Soul Note)

Bassist Drew Gress, a veteran of bands as diverse as the Fred Hersch trio and Tim Berne's Paraphrase, makes an impressive debut as a leader here. He gets the best his quartet Jagged Sky (with alto-saxophonist Dave Binney, guitarist Ben Monder, and drummer Kenny Wolleson) by shuffling compositions and arrangements to allow for the bass occasionally to be the lead voice and alto sax to take on a supporting role, by setting up grooves and deconstructing them. The group responds with thoughtful soloing. The natural flow of tunes like "Becoming Unraveled" and "Dolomite" sound effortless. But music this sophisticated and organic is hard work. Binney has never sounded so good in a recorded session. His burnished tone is set off by Monder's rich harmonies and tone color. Wolleson, an especially melodic drummer, enlivens whatever is going on in the music, whether it's free pulse or swing. And Gress is a sneak -- he fits so perfectly into so many situations that he's easy to take for granted.

-- Ed Hazell