Bassist Neal Caine, who resides in New Orleans but is out of town much of the
time, brings his unique mindset to the original material that fills this disc.
A holistic quality blossoms from the opening bars and freshness prevails throughout
the program. Caine enlists like-minded musical companions who he’s worked
with before to fill a quartet that thrives minus the usual chordal instrument—no
piano, no guitar. His original approach to his bass are well-matched to the sensitivities
of drummer Jason Marsalis with whom Caine has shared many a bandstand since arriving
in the city in 1991. It’s a dream of a tenor team coupling Ned Goold—who
like Caine, is a member of Harry Connick Jr.’s band—with Stephen
Riley, who doubles on alto clarinet. No, this music doesn’t swing. However,
even though Caine’s compositions are new and complex, there are moments
that almost feel familiar as on the swaying “DEA.” (The title comes
from the notes, not from the drug enforcement agency.) The wonderful woody quality
of Caine’s bass, the breathiness of the horns and the textural qualities
of the drums combine to produce a singular musically organic expression.