Mosaic: The Music of Gregg Hill

4-STARS From the opening title track, this album is a declaration of mastery. It's also a formidable showcase to the collective strength of this combo as well as of Gregg Hill's compositions: It's all killer, no filler. "Mosaic" is a bouncy, juicy number held down by the alchemy present in the interplay between Whitaker's walking bass line that's sharp as a fresh straight razor and Dana Hall's simply effervescent drumming style. Each solo on the track is a disclosure unveiling its own respective revelation, from Terell Stafford's trycrooning horn and Tim Warfield's Middle Eastern-drone-tinged sax to Rick Roe's sweet key communications. With such an opening, one should expect a deeply multifaceted presentation, and this record certainly delivers.

"Moonscape" is as otherworldly as the name suggests. "Katie's Tune" is a slightly tipsy and entirely enjoyable waltz. "Ray-Dias" feels like a lost track from Donald Byrd's mid-1960s classic Mustang, while "Stargazer" (not to be confused with the 1970s Dexter Wansel chestnut) is another cut wrought in sparkle and moonbeams that somehow recalls Roy Ayers' "Miles (Love's Silent Dawn)." In short, this album, part of a larger series showcasing the compositions of Gregg Hill in collaboration with Whitaker (which also includes 2022's Oasis, 2021's Outrospection and 2019's Common Ground), displays Hill's uncanny feel for "Rhythm" changes that feel downright luxurious. It also displays preternatural ability of Whitaker (who was honored in 2024 with an induction into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences) to bring those changes to life.