For their third album together, the trombone tag-team of Jim Pugh and Eijiro Nakagawa bounces ideas back and forth in a lively game of musical tennis. Pugh’s bright, liquid runs counterbalance Nakagawa’s earthier sound, with the refined pianist Andy Ezrin and precise drummer John Riley providing a stable fulcrum for the two horns. John Patitucci and Jay Leonhart split bass duties, respectively adding a warm fluidity and a good-time bounce to this generally upbeat set of original contemporary-bop tunes.
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