Flights of Fancy

Joe Lovano's sonic explorations with the trio format on Flights of Fancy continue where 1998's Trio Fascination (which featured drummer Elvin Jones and bassist Dave Holland) left off. On Flights, Lovano both expands the trio concept by featuring four different three-way groups (each with varying stylistic persuasions) and even pushes the experimental envelope further by overlapping some of the trios on three selections. While the boppish title track (with bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Idris Muhammad) affirms Lovano's love for unabashed swing, the spellbinding "On April" (with pianist Kenny Werner and harmonica player Toots Thielemans) and the protean "Amsterdam" (with trumpeter Dave Douglas and bassist Mark Dresser) provide some of the album's most bewitching moments--and they're just the first three tracks. Lovano's big burly tone and bluesy sensibilities emerge when he's joined by fellow saxophonist Billy Drewes and drummer Joey Baron on the Ornette-ish "Off and Runnin'," and on the intriguingly soft-hued reading of John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" where he and Thielemans sound as if they're playing melodic chess. Once again, Lovano has released an album that brims with creativity, drive, and emotional poignancy. --John Murph