Having a perform is certainly an attention-grabber if one knows anything about 's contributions to the jazz world. is a veteran drummer and a composer, not a member of a chamber group (although he started out on guitar early in his career before making the drums his main instrument). So what does a -related project have to do with strings? This early-2010 recording, it turns out, finds guitarist paying tribute to with the help of fellow guitarist and a string quartet consisting of and on violin, on cello, and or on viola. doesn't actually play on the album; in fact, there are no drums at all (only string instruments), and that says a lot about what was going for. , more than anyone, realizes that jazz is about interpretation rather than emulation; obviously agrees, which is why his salutes without trying to emulate him. Except for 's and acoustic bassist (which played when he was part of pianist ' trio), everything here is a composition -- and 's arrangements favor an ambitious mixture of post-bop, third stream, and mildly avant-garde jazz (emphasis on the word mildly). Euro-classical chamber music is a strong influence on and other pieces, but doesn't become so classical-obsessed that he lets improvisation fall by the wayside. No, that isn't the scenario at all. The guitarist doesn't sacrifice his jazz mentality, and there is plenty of room for and others to stretch out and improvise on this self-produced 55-minute CD. It should also be noted that even though has an inside/outside component (more inside than outside), this is far from an atonal free jazz screamfest; the performances are on the cerebral side, but they are also quite musical. This album by is a winner on many different levels, and 's ambition serves him well throughout the imaginative project. ~ Alex Henderson