Multiple reedman and composer Byron Asher could be considered predictably unpredictable as he seems determined to stir things up. For instance, on May Day, on which the band is called Basher, he employs a pared-down group with just his tenor, the alto sax of Aurora Nealand, Daniel Meinecke working on synthesizer and two drummers, Brad Webb and Zach Phea. On his previously OffBeat-reviewed album Lord, When You Send the Rain, he leads an 11-piece ensemble dubbed Byron Asher’s Skrontch Music. So, it goes.

Perhaps the title of May Day‘s lively, dance-friendly and happy cut, “Conflict of Interest,” explains a touch of Asher’s inner musical workings if one agrees that conflicting ideas and explorations aren’t necessarily negative. The horns play in unison here, accentuated by the drums sounding somehow abstractedly reminiscent of a mariachi band. Yes, really. The horns then float around and intertwine with each other. Then they take it out by going “out.”

Beauty and aggressiveness can also be companions, as heard on Asher’s excitable and soulful “Casual Outrage.” Tension between the horns leads to fun and movement that is further encouraged by the driving drums. Later, the synthesizer goes to church, acting in the place of a big organ and the saxophones of Asher and Nealand “sing” the sad though sweet lyrics.

“We Can Only Try,” continues the melodic and dance-provoking nature of the album while some future selections like the appropriately-titled “Spaceship” fly free. Here we find the group wandering the universe and encountering a traffic jam of orbiting paraphernalia. Earth eventually comes into focus.

The title track, “May Day,” just explodes with passion as Asher dramatically moves from the high end of the horn to the low end—almost as if playing a duet with himself. Just Asher’s tenor and a drum go at it in rhythmic harmony before all goes wild on a tune that is at once challenging and relatable. This one’s a killer.

The term “May Day! May Day!” is used in times of trouble—a boat sinking, a plane taking a dive. The album May Day stands more as a wake-up call for folks to pay attention as events might change in unexpected ways as they often do when Byron Asher is at the helm.