VIA

Via features a more experienced British musician, saxophonist Tim Garland, working together as a trio with American pianist Keezer and vibes layer Locke, as they did a decade earlier. I've seen this group compared to the team of Gary Burton and Chick Corea, but of course there was no saxophone in that group. Garland adds an extra drive to the formal prettiness that Keezer and Locke set up whether he is dancing ceside them on soprano sax or stalking the background on bass clarinet. He gives body to the busyness of "Ripertoli" and "Tiger Lily" and solos rapturously on soprano against icy piano and vibe notes on "Skating in Central Park." Garland heats up his tenor on the more rhythmic "Ambleside Nights" with Keezer charging hard on piano; "Big Wavy Thing" is a percolating bit of abstraction with submerged rhythms and restless bass clarinet cries; and "Daly Avenue" is a slippery, dancing Blues line where Locke really gets intense while Keezer comps along. this is strong and involving work with a different combination of instruments and players that always know how to mix in grit with prettiness. The interplay of these three men is infectiously cool.