Outside In

Pianist Dan Gray delivers the most bona fide jazz album of the quartet. He brings together Dayna Stephens/ts, Clark Sommers/b and Mark Ferber/dr for a split of seven songs between covers and originals. Stephens' warm and breathy tenor is a highlight here, relaxed and yearning with Cray's pulse on "Small Sir" and filling the room with smoke rings with glistening piano chimes on the relaxed "Where Springs." Cray and company bop with style and aplomb on "Oblivion" and gets impressionistic on a drop dead gorgeous read of "Where Are You." Sommer's bass creates a thick paste as the team goes into deep waters on a penetrating take of "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing." If this team tours around the States, I'm getting in line!