Opus 5
's third studio album, 2014's
Progression
, finds the
Criss Cross
label supergroup delivering more of their sophisticated post-bop sound. As on past albums,
features the talents of saxophonist
Seamus Blake
, trumpeter
Alex Sipiagin
, pianist
David Kikoski
, bassist
Boris Kozlov
, and drummer
Donald Edwards
. A collaborative ensemble, each member of
contributes an arrangement here which helps raise the bar from a simple blowing session to a distinct, group-oriented aesthetic, which is not to say there isn't a fair share of harmonically advanced, intensely swinging playing on display. On the contrary, cuts like the lithe album-opener "Snow Bird," the lilting, 3/4 number "Fear of Roaming," and the soulful swing-funk track "Walk a Waltz," are urbane, highly engaging numbers that bring to mind '70s-era
Woody Shaw
and
Joe Henderson
. Much more than a label-based ensemble,
are one of the best contemporary post-bop groups of their time and
is simply further evidence of that conclusion. ~ Matt Collar