Crossroads

Hemispheres is led by percussionist Ian Dogole, whose embraces influences from many musical styles around the world, utilizing such accomplished musicians as multi-reed players Paul McCandless (who was worked extensively with Paul Winter), Sheldon Brown (who has played with Omar Sosa), pianist Frank Martin (a veteran jazz educator and sideman), and bassist Bill Douglass (who has worked with Marian McPartland and Charlie Byrd). Ralph Towner's "The Glide" provides an unusual opener, it omits the guitar from the composer's original concept, with McCandless' playful soprano sax and Brown's robust tenor sailing over the light Latin rhythm. Brown's "Fathers and Sons" has a chant-like air at first, before the blend of the composer's soprano and McCandless' English horn begin to work their magic in a lovely yet breezy setting. Dogole solos on kalimba (an African thumb piano) to provide an introduction to the late trumpeter Woody Shaw's "Katrina Ballerina," a delicious post-bop vehicle showcasing McCandless' expressive, Eric Dolphy-like bass clarinet, Martin's dramatic piano, and Brown's sizzling soprano sax. The CD wraps with an unusual twist: a hypnotic work by Iranian composer/lute player Hossein Alizadeh, which features guest Hassan Massoudy on vocals and tombak (a Persian goblet drum), recorded in live performance. While this music is difficult to classify, it proves to be consistently captivating and ear-opening.