The In Side Out

In her liner notes, Michele Rosewoman says that she has a passion for "obscuring the obvious." The music on The In Side Out is never close to obvious, evolving constantly without ever becoming overly comfortable. Some selections use complex time signatures while others have a floating feel to them. There is a vocal folkloric piece, some freer stretches that end up not being as free as they sound, and plenty of dynamic solos along the way. Tenor saxophonist Mark Shim and altoist Miguel Zenón solo brilliantly throughout but one should never overlook the alert and unpredictable playing of bassist Brad Jones and drummer Derrek Phillips. As for Michele Rosewoman, her occasional work on electric piano is intriguing, as is her admitted love of funk and R&B. There is also a liberal amount of her distinctive acoustic piano work, improvising within her own mysterious structures. Rosewoman's music is highly original, never going to predictable places even when it is funky, and it reveals more layers and surprises with each listen.