...But Not Heard

Of their second recording, Along The Way (Origin, 2006), guitarist and All About Jazz contributor John Kelman said, "There's an airy, ECM-like feel to much of the album... more in its aesthetic than any direct stylistic reference." That immediately frames the music of guitarist John Stowell, bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop, giving it a definition and location. The "ECM sound" at once defies accurate definition while immediately preparing one's ear. This is true of Scenes' fifth recording which features the addition of saxophonist Hans Teuber to great effect. It is Teuber's flute suspended over the plush and understated blanket of sound that Stowell and trio place beneath it that beckons ECM comparisons. Light and airy, these seven pieces make up a seamless sonic poem that grows with each listen. Fertile is the band's mind and talent for a sound ethereal.