Luminosity

Florian Hoefner is a cerebral and harmonically daring pianist whose style crystallizes around jazz and blues fundamentals, but whose adventurous spirit finds him reaching toward new sonic territory. Luminosity, his starkly picturesque new album, makes profound statements from quiet moments.

Tranquility and calmness are the operative moods here, with most of Hoefner's solos exhibiting a hushed, soft-spoken quality. On "The Narrow," he crafts a lengthy refrain out of flickering passages in the upper register, the twinkling notes fading in and out like passing thoughts. The title track is similarly airy and free-floating, though jagged atonal passages will occasionally cause rippels. Hastier numbers like "Newfound Jig" and "Elements" move with a fierce determination, feeling animated and brisk despite their complexity. Hoefner's sideman - saxophonist Seamus Blake, bassist Sam Anning and drummer Peter Kronreif _ are an agile and intuitive crew, and their interplay on the stately "North County," which closes the album, is like a slow, impassioned dance. There is serious density to this music. Prepare to explore it on end.