Working out of the Toronto area, this collectively-named sextet is a new entry to the label. Its music, like its moniker, is an intriguing one. Describing it is not easy, save to say that it unfurls in an improvisatory fashion, yet it also relies on familiar compositional devices. For one, defined tonal areas recur throughout the 13 tracks, underscored by ostinato figures (most of which are played by pianist Ajay Heble, best known as the artistic director of the Guelph Jazz Festival). Revolving mainly around strings and percussion, the group is bolstered here by some added guests, most notably Jane Bunnett, in one of her rare detours from her latin bag. For wont of a better term, this ensemble’s music could be labelled as ‘world improv’, whereby all participants serve the whole rather than projecting themselves in front of it (as in jazz). Full marks then for the concept, but still a little too reliant on its devices.

They too are a trio like Evidence, but their musical bread and butter is no holds barred free improvisation. With some 20 years of playing together in a host of musical projects, Bernard Falaise (gtr.), Alexandre St-Onge (el. bass) and Michel F Côté (drs.) have a shared musical history, and the chemistry enables them to eschew the main pitfall of this musical practice: chattiness. In just under 41 minutes, they carve out 13 concise explorations, all but one of them clocking in under five minutes. Each piece evokes a kind of sonic micro-climate, with added electronic distortions provided for the most part by the guitarist. Together, these musicians are blessed with a sixth sense that allows them to stay in a place just long enough before moving on. But this is best arrived at when the partners know each other well, like these three gentlemen.

Listening to Monk’s music is like meeting an old friend. Once deemed strange, his pieces now sound so familiar to our ears. And when three pals like Jean Derome (alto and baritone saxes), Pierre Cartier (el. bass) and Pierre Tanguay (drs) tackle them, it can only be a happy reunion. Named after a Monk piece, the group finally brings out its long awaited follow up album, some 14 years after its second one. Among the 10 nuggets culled on this hour-long side, the trio has dug deep into the book and unearthed two obscure items, Two Timer (never committed to wax by its composer) and the twice recorded Dreamland (attributed to him, as per the pianist’s authoritative biography by Robin Kelly). Conjectures aside, no one here can question the authenticity of these interpretations, because the musicians play it according to the maestro’s own prescription: “Don’t play on the changes, but on the melodies!”