Bassist Matt Booth is another ubiquitous player on the New Orleans scene. He is an anchor for the Extended Trio as well as having made numerous appearances with Aurora Nealand and John Gros among others. The music he makes here is deliberate and well-measured. Everyone seems to be taking their time and making sure it all sounds right. This even happens on songs such as “Ripped to Shreds” where the players start playing together, but slowly as the tunes get further away from each other. This sense of experimentation continues on tracks like “Diminutive Stature” that sounds like the more psychedelic sections of Grateful Dead concerts before it grinds out a heavy beat rock/jazz ending like a tonal last exit. Melvin Gibbs’ “Howard Beach Memoirs” also has that abstraction but remains that way throughout the track. Booth also shows a more conventional side to himself with covers of the Dirty Projects and Egberto Gismonti that are pretty and almost, shall we say, pop- oriented. With those, the record contains a great balance of music that is focused on texture and sound with other songs that are focused on melody and song structure. His band mates in this do what they do best. Drummer Doug Garrison continues to be one of the most versatile drummers in New Orleans with his mix of dense playing and sensitive accents. Saxophonist Brad Walker also combines long, meditative tones with harsh timbres. In a world where few have a sound that sticks out, Walker’s playing is easily recognizable. Guitarist Chris Alford also uses a wide array of sounds and textures to add depth and dimensions to the music. As a bassist and leader, Booth’s playing is focused and grounded and he brings the band into this focus for an album that is alternately challenging and easy to listen to.