South

The music on altoist Dave Binney's set, which is comprised entirely of his originals (other than one free improvisation), is consistently intriguing. The post-bop solos, particularly those of Binney and tenor-saxophonist Chris Potter, are excellent but it is in the arrangements themselves, and in the way that the improvisations flow naturally out of the episodic frameworks that are most impressive. Although the overall results are logical, the frequently passionate music is quite unpredictable, with the forms evolving as much as the individual solos. Some doomsayers may claim that jazz has not evolved since the mid-1970s, but South is one of hundreds (if not thousands) of bits of evidence to the contrary. This is a set that will grow on listeners, keeping one guessing even after several listens.