The intriguing pianist D.D. Jackson teams up with bassist John Geggie (who has an otherworldly bowed bass feature on "Ayse") and drummer Jean Martin for a continually interesting trio set. Jackson's style closely emulates that of his mentor, the late Don Pullen, sometimes featuring clusters of dissonant notes played in rhythmic fashion which makes his music seem fairly accessible despite its unpredictable nature. Some of Jackson's own musical personality sneaks through at times (particularly on the ballads) and he tends to be more melodic than Pullen. D.D. Jackson will surely become a more individual player as time passes and this excellent outing (which features 11 of his diverse originals interpreted in a wide range of moods) is well worth exploring.

-Scott Yanow