Pastures

As the title suggests, pianist and composer Clay Giberson's latest outing as a leader draws on influences from American roots music - though those influences are often well below the sonic surface. His arrangement of the familiar Shaker hymn "Simple Gifts" takes that theme off in a million different directions, and his take on the Kern/Gershwin tune "Long Ago and Far Away" (which features a string quartet alongside his trio) is also quite creative. One of the highlight tracks is his original "Song for Ornette," a composition that pays well-deserved tribute to Ornette Coleman's gifts as a melodist (gifts that are often overlooked in the discussion of his pioneering efforts in harmolodics). Overall, this is a very fine program of modern jazz that can be confidently recommended to all collections.