Inner Mission (feat. Randy Brecker)

Excellent music can come from construction and deconstruction equally. That seems to be the main point to be proven by saxophonist Richard Cole's Inner Mission. A number of original numbers build from the ground up here, forming a complex sound from primary elements in combination with co-writer and pianist Bill Anschell. At the same time, classic pieces are deconstructed, taken apart by the riff or the note to barely recognizable parts and reworked into careful, flowing jazz. The saxophone in the Beatles' "Come Together," combined with electric piano, makes for an ethereal, brooding piece of nightclub ambience. "Slow Hot Wind," on the other hand, builds from a soft tapping from drummer Matt Jorgensen into a showcase for exploratory brass solos from Cole and trumpet maestro Randy Brecker. Throughout the album, this sort of work is the norm — from very slight beginnings the group crafts a strong sound, while reworking initially strong compositions to create more interesting and new pieces altogether. Both forms of creation are composed well and performed beautifully in this case, with the bandmembers' considerable abilities powering the compositions into exceptional end products. A lesser band couldn't pull this off, but Cole and his crew do so with ease.