While We Have Time

Alto-saxophonist Maddie Vogler's While We Have Time (Origin, 50:53 ***1/2) defies expectations a bit. Some of her music is dedicated to her grandmother who left Cuba for Chicago with her family when she was 16. While the opening number, "The Need To Be," is Latin-flavored jazz, the other pieces are modern hard bop with just subtle hints at Vogler's Latin background. She has an original sound on alto and takes fluent solos throughout this outing with a group also including trumpeter Tito Carrillo, pianist Jake Shapiro, bassist Samuel Peters, drummer Neil Hemphill and, on four of the nine songs, guitarist Matt Gold. Her originals have attractive melodies and fertile chord changes that inspire the musicians. The altoist is generous in featuring her sidemen with Carrillo's blazing solos often taking honors. "While We Have Time" and "Check Engine Light," which are mostly heated tradeoffs by the two horns, are among the highpoints of this stirring maiden effort.