Stained Glass

Pianist Bill Gerhardt leads an outstanding group called Cotangent on this studio session. He contributed four of the seven compositions, highlighted by the demanding post-bop opener, "Visitor," which incorporates an Eastern flavor at times in the midst of its feverish theme, while featuring strong solos by tenor saxophonist Marc Mommaas and the leader. Equally enticing is the brooding, speech-like "Paragraph," which suggests the telling of a story, though without words. Bassist Mike Holstein and guest Mark Reboul open "Stained Glass" by playing waterphones, adding an eerie touch with their swirling, squeaky sound; when the full band comes in, adding trumpeter/flugelhornist Ron Horton, the piece becomes an intense post-bop cooker that avoids predictable paths. Horton is also present in "Words," a deliberate ballad that allows for terrific interplay. Drummer Tim Horner penned the loopy "Video Tapes and Lies," in which Gerhardt's opening line is suggestive of Thelonious Monk's "In Walked Bud" without ever playing it outright.