(Groundblue)

Composer/saxophonist Michael Pedicin continues his consistent track record focusing on ballads, add this one to that collection. As It Should Be: Ballads 2 focuses almost entirely on the compositions of guitarists Johnnie Valentino, who also plays on and co-produced the recording. The tunes have a great touch of the familiar heard in popular ballad tunes, without becoming cliché. The effort only include two covers by John Coltrane and Paul Simon respectively. The performances of Pedicin and Valentino are excellent, as are the contributions of pianist Frank Strauss, bassist Mike Boone, drummer Justin Faulkner and percussionist Alex Acuña. Excellent recording and fantastic exploration of the gentler side of instrumental music in a contemporary context.