This is very much a game of two halves, or an album of two sides, with the proviso that the second is nearly as fine as the first. The guitarist has lived in both New York and California and acknowledges both coasts with the first five tracks, all originals, recorded in Astoria, NYC, and the second five, all arrangements of standards, recorded with a different band in West Hills, CA. ‘Time Line’ opens proceedings in buoyant mood coupled to some tricky, accented timing, Payton and Eubanks both firing strongly. The NY sessions then take a more laidback turn with the leader using a wiry, near acoustic sound over Holland's rich bass, Watts' shimmering cymbals and some gently smeared trumpet stylings on ‘Watercolors’ (I could imagine a hi-fi shop using this track to demonstrate its finest equipment – the tones and timbres come through exquisitely). ‘Carnival’ has strong contributions from Evans and Watts and an upbeat mood to reflect its title. ‘Something About Nothing’ has a marvellous coda with everyone quietly simmering. A few time zones west and things are not quite as cool – slightly spicier. Out goes the regal Payton trumpet; in comes the more visceral Pierce tenor. Cinelu brings a Cuban tang to Ellington's ‘Take The Coltrane’ and Ray Bryant's ‘Cubano Chant’, the latter further enlivened by a quicksilver soprano solo from Pierce. Eubanks sounds sublime throughout, whether playing richly articulated solos, adding a delicate tracery of harmonics or ‘doing a Wes’ on ‘What's Going On’.