Dialogue

Trumpeter Thomas Marriott joins alto saxophonist Mark Taylor, pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer (and Origin label head) Matt Jorgensen on this solid, cooperative live album. Marriott and Taylor make a formidable frontline on such modernist fare as Jorgensen's turbulent "Ridgecrest," Marriott's uptempo "Song for Samuel" and his blistering hard-boppish romp "Pelham Gardens." The band settles into a soulful groove on Marritt's stirring "Reversal of Fortune," which finds Evans offering a few gospel-tinged chords reminiscent of some of Keith Jarrett's work on Treasure Island and Shades, then strikes a mellower accord on the trumpeter's lush ballad "148 Lexington." That tranquil chemistry also marks Taylor's probing "After Hours," featuring a harmonically provocative piano solo by Evans.