November 1997

Unified Jazz Ensemble
New Slant
IGMOD

By Nancy Ann Lee

The amorphous Unified Jazz Ensemble has changed to a quartet setting from their 1996 quintet album, Small Town Stories. On this outing, UJE shoots for cooler hues on their ten appealing originals.

Vibraphonist Mike Noonan leads with melody and saxman Jeff Antoniuk adds a bit of heat with his skilled solos. Bassist John Pineda and drummer Marty Morrison return to provide tight and steady backing. No matter what setting, this crew continues to create tricky rhythms and fetching melodies.