(Matthew Rybicki Music)

After many years working behind the likes of Wynton Marsalis, Terrell Stafford, Nneena Freelon and host of others, 37-year old Cleveland-born, New York-based Matthew Rybicki offers an impressive debut recording in Driven. The bassist and composer presents nine fresh, self-written tunes, along with two interesting covers. Rybicki also fields a first class musical line-up to bring this music to life, with Gerald Clayton on piano, Ron Blake on saxophone, Ulysses Owens Jr. on drums Freddie Hendrix on trumpet and Michael Dease on trombone. The project is a lively, swinging set with Rybicki driving the action, as much as laying down the bottom floor.