Squat

Depending which track you cue up, you could easily convince yourself that Squat is an excellent Latin jazz band, a feisty George Benson-esque smooth jazz outfit, a smoking roadhouse blues combo, beboppers, spacy funkateers or any number of things. But they are all of that and more, a versatile quartet that sees no reason to play by the rules, and that makes for a satisfying, often surprising listening experience. This is the sixth album by the Georgians, and their intuitive abilities are at a peak here. Alternating between guitar, keys and sax upfront, all anchored by a swinging rhythm section that makes sharp turns without effort, Squat takes its loose approach seriously, but never seems to be playing the diversity card for its own sake. The deep Latin grooves of "Estrellas" and "Whispering Portuguese," the down-home boogie of "Railroad Worksong," the electric explorations of "Bronkar," the intensely escalating noir of "Dialogues" and the sexy sax of "Anywhere But Here" fuse cohesively rather than jar. In less skilled hands, all that jumping around might make these ten songs sound like a compilation featuring different bands, but Squat's distinctive stamp unifies the disparate elements.