Restless Idealism

An exceptional young talent among millennial jazz musicians, Roxy Coss delivers a strong performance on Restless Idealism, her sophomore album and first for the Seattle-based label Origin Records. Coss, a Washington native, has since relocated to New York, where she has been refining a style that is intricate and sincere, intelligent yet accessible. Much of Restless Idealism, a program of 10 originals, finds her working in the vein of grooving post-bop, a genre for which her brawny tone and impeccable technique are ideally suited. The opener, "Don't Cross The Coss," epitomizes her intrepid approach, featuring a dense, unpredictable melody line that winds and wiggles with linear energy while remaining wholly accessible. "Breaking Point" is another song that challenges expectations even as it works its way into the listener's deep tissue. A former frontline partner to trumpeters Clark Terry and Claudio Roditi, Coss is a musician of strong lyricism and piercing intellect, and her playing on the ballad "Almost My Own" proves just how adept she is at combining the two. Elsewhere in the program, she trades melodic ideas with another standout trumpeter, Jeremy Pelt, whose vivacious style makes him a well-suited partner. Others in the band include pianist Chris Pattishall, guitarist Alex Wintz, bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Willie Jones III. It's a tight unit that's ready, willing and able to take on anything.