With this live recording from Sung Harbor in April ’97, the curtain rises on 28 year old bassist Roland Guerin’s ability to compose acoustic modern jazz and lead an all-star band: Nicholas Payton (trumpet), Mark Whitfield (guitar), Peter Martin (piano) and Donald Edwards (drums).

Guerin is Whitfield’s full time bassist and has also played or recorded with Marcus Roberts (see the outstanding new Blues for the New Millennium), Wynton Marsalis, Donald Harrison, Joshua Redman, George Benson and others. For this date, he arranged songs for Whitfield and Payton to shine together. On “Children of the Light” and “Perfect Will of God” the Verve label mates double up on the opening melody (or “head”). The combination of bright, fluid guitar and sensuous trumpet is gorgeous. Peter Martin’s comping on the keys is unique also, and his solos, a definite high point, unravel like good stories. In the background, Donald “Duck” Edwards subtly adds spice and accent.

The all-instrumental material reflects Guerin’s deep spiritual influences. In fact, the only cut without religious themes is “Slap Happy,” which reveals Guerin’s God-given ability to play the “slap bass” style. It’s a funky percussive layer beneath the bass melody, and we wish he would do it more often. He also takes out the bow for a solo on “Visions,” which is wonderful, but for the most part Guerin seems content to work in the background, allowing this stellar ensemble to achieve the level of “inner peace” he is striving for.