Destinations

The trio Scenes consists of cool-toned John Stowell/g, bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop, and they bring together a collection of lithe originals and impressionistic jazz standards. Of the latter, Stowell exudes spaciousness and timber akin to vintage Jim Hall on the ESP-ish "Solar" while the team gets a bit bluesy on an indigo'd "You and the Night and the Music." Bishop, armed with brushes and conversant style, is more like a gatekeeper than a timekeeper, adding gentle pulses to the pastoral "The Mandy Walk" and rumbling under Johnson's bass on "Long Prairie." Moments of quietude abound, with pieces such as "Fur Heide" and the melancholy "Simple Pleasures" alluring in their subtlety. Hushed tones and soft conversations abound in this indoor voice of a trio.