June 1997

Motion Poets
Standard of Living
IGMOD

By Marcela Breton

The sextet Motion Poets fluently combines the straightahead and the experimental on their second release of all original material. Trumpeter Mark Sutton composed the title cut, "Dream," and "Decency." Sutton, altoist/flutist Doug Little, and trombonist Mark Miller create tension, color, and complexity. The title cut imagines an urban soundscape; horns evoking train whistles over the rumbling rhythm section of pianist Nate Shaw, bassist Chris Bates, and drummer J.T. Bates. A song titled "E=mc2" seems a case of overreaching.