Altus - l-r: Ryan Sands, Neta Raanan, Nathan Reising, Dave Adewumi, Isaac Levien.
A quintet who gig around New York a bit. Dourly likeable, the plangent trumpet style of Dave Adewumi on 'Lay of the Land' calls in the other horn players and floats on top of exploratory rhythm. There isn't really any groove or anything as nailed down as that. Instead it's pretty avant in a loose and open sense without being self-conscious. Minor key, chromatic rather than diatonic in flavour, using lots of glacially slow tempi and occasionally stirring-us-up momentum. A band that can shift to be more frenetic without your being able to see that coming. There's more heat from alto saxist Nathan Reising coming out of nowhere on 'Origin'. Tunes are inspired by Greek and Yoruba myths - worth following now and as they grow.
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