Dark Wood, Dark Water

As illuminating as new views of familiar landscapes can be, a vibrant jazz scene is best measured by its ability to foster young artists creating new music. Dark Wood, Dark Water's compositions employ advanced harmonics and are all originals, save for the band's lovely and unique take on Lennon-McCartney's "Blackbird." Joining Chad McCullough and Jeff Johnson are Bishop himself, saxophonists Mark Taylor and Geof Bradfield and pianist Bill Anschell. Both Bradfield (tenor) and Taylor (alto) also take their turn on soprano and these instances make for the most interesting and venturesome three-horn voicings. Anschell's "Dreamscape" is a pretty-yet-whimsical offering that features a lovely two-soprano-and-flugelhorn arrangement. Although McCullough clearly impresses on several burners, his warm textural style, both on trumpet and flugelhorn, is the more moving and endearing. Tunes like "The Oracle," with its relaxed story-telling feel, and the pensive "Lockdown" are compositions that actively engage and at times enthrall the listener.