Canadian artist Jean Derome and the band Somebody Special are out with the album Le sourire, and jazz is the style explored on this production. This is an intriguing and often theatrical take on jazz where old school jazz serves as a bit of a foundation. Where energetic and more laid back bass and piano driven motifs with heavy set or delicate drum and percussion patterns are in support as well as taking more dominant roles, and where the piano gets numerous occasions to shine along with the saxophone and the flute. The vocals comes with the same amount of variation as the music, from borderline operatic inspired deliveries to more soft and delicate modes of vocal execution. Some of the songs close in on the chaotic premises of free form jazz without ever actually crossing the borderline, other numbers wouldn’t be all that much out of place as the closing song on a nightclub performance at 2 AM. If a creative, expressive and somewhat theatrical variety of jazz with an old school jazz foundation sounds like music that will rock your boat, this album should have a good chance of being a rewarding listen.