(Anteprima Productions)

Manu Katché weaves together hypnotic rhythms and transportive melodies to produce his latest, superb effort, Unstatic. The music, all of which was composed by the drummer, has a contemporary feel and very much fits the album’s title, and the same can be said of the album’s outstanding performances. On this production, Katché works with a new group, but the outcome remains very high quality, with the band syncing together incredibly well. The core musician lineup on the effort includes Jim Watson on piano and keyboards, Tore Brunborg on saxophones, Ellen Andrea Wang on bass and vocals, and Luca Aquino on trumpet. Guest performances by Nils Landgren on trombone, among others, definitely make an impression as well. A truly solid recording from beginning to end.