Auteur

4 1/2 STARS The David Weiss Sextet's first album in 10 years is a master class in musical power. It presents five primarily long-form tunes by trumpeter Weiss and one each by Freddie Hubbard and Slide Hampton.

Auteur is immersive modern music spanning "The Mirror," a staple of the group's repertoire; "The Other Side Of The Mountain," a gorgeous Martin Luther King Jr. homage; and "Too Little Too Late," the relatively brisk opener.

The leader's insistent trumpet and Nicole Glover's tenor saxophone introduce "The Mirror," a haunting tune originally released 10 years ago. Pianist David Bryant is also a standout, spinning chromatic phrases off Eric Wheeler's steady bass and E.J. Strickland's cymbal splashes and drum kicks. After a stirring opening statement, "The Other Side" turns into sections that flow into and out of each other: variations on the opening theme. Solos by Glover, Weiss, alto sax player Myron Walden and Bryant help to create its complex blend of rue and aspiration. Walden's has a swagger that evokes the hope MLK expressed in the speech he gave the day before he was assassinated.

The album ends with the piquant Hampton tune, a fitting cap for such a profound, true recording.