Restless Idealism

On her second album - following long on the heels of her 2010 self-released debut, Roxy Coss comes across as a fairly full-formed talent. As a player, on tenor and soprano saxophones, she possesses a poise and maturity beyond her years. She's also a composer of diverse instincts and a strong bandleader (with impressive bandmates in tow, including trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, nimble guitarist Alex Wintz and versatile pianist Chris Pattishall, with drummer Willie Jones III and bassist Dezron Douglas rounding out the nicely integrated ensemble).

True to its title, the music contained here does heed a certain restless idealism, having to do with not-necessarily-commercial jazz idioms reaching across a spectrum of past and present, blessed with melodic intelligence and direct appeal, but also a sense of an ongoing musical search. Contrary to the clichéd notion that young players lack the wisdom and life experience to take the slow road, Coss also works well in ballad mode, with pen and horn: "Happiness Is A Choice" is a slow-brew ballad with a warm, breathy-toned and graceful tenor solo. "Recurring Dream" makes for an elegant, understated finale to an album that fulfills and expands on the early promise of this impressive and still-emerging artist.