Woodwork

Praising a previous incarnation of Steve Swallow's quintet, The Times described the band "as near a perfect display of small-group jazz - robust yet exquisitely poised". The description holds true for the latest edition of the bassist's quintet and its album Into the Woodwork. Swallow leads the group - including his longtime partner in music and life, Carla Bley, on organ - in multi-hued performances of a dozen original compositions from his pen. Recorded in the south of France, the album accommodates atmospheric grace and loping grooves, wry humour and understated virtuosity.

Praising a previous incarnation of Steve Swallow's quintet, The Times described the band "as near a perfect display of small-group jazz - robust yet exquisitely poised". The description holds true for the latest edition of the bassist's quintet and its album Into the Woodwork. Swallow leads the group - including his longtime partner in music and life, Carla Bley, on organ - in multi-hued performances of a dozen original compositions from his pen. Recorded in the south of France, the album accommodates atmospheric grace and loping grooves, wry humour and understated virtuosity.

Guitarist Matthew Stevens has already made a name for himself through his work with artists like trumpeter Christian Scott, saxophonist Walter Smith III, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, and bassist-vocalist Esperanza Spalding. But he shouldn't be pigeonholed as a support player or viewed simply as sideman du jour in the eyes of the jazz world. That would be a mistake, as he has plenty to offer on his own. With Woodwork, Stevens' long-awaited debut, the guitarist steps forward and shows himself to be a master craftsman, an exceptional technician, and a startlingly original compositional force.