(Creative Bottle Music)

On El Guapo, his debut as a leader, Scott Jeppesen weaves together colorful and fascinating musical tapestries. Both as a saxophonist and a composer, Jeppesen is truly a creator of great music, writing all but two of the tunes on the project. The selection here is a nice balance between uptempo numbers and ballads, with arrangements that give all of the players involved the opportunity to showcase their considerable skills. Joining the L.A.-based talent on this effort is a solid lineup, which includes John Daversa on trumpet, Josh Nelson on piano, Larry Koonse on guitar, Dan Schnelle on drums and Dave Robaire on bass. This is an outstanding debut from an artist who is really worth hearing.