Third Round,ECM **

Drummer Manu Katché’s third CD as leader for ECM is a letdown, given the calibre of musicians involved: Tore Brunborg (tenor/soprano), Jason Rebello (piano/Fender Rhodes), longtime colleague Pino Palladino (bass), guests Jacob Young (guitars) and idiosyncratic US singer- songwriter/trumpeter Kami Lyle.

The material, all composed by Katché, is lightweight, groove-oriented, pleasantly inoffensive jazzy rock, close to aural wallpaper, treated in a manner that allows plenty of space for the leader

to play around with time, but permits the frontline little latitude to stretch out and express themselves. And for all its gentle melodicism, there’s a sameness to the performances that’s leaves no footprints on the memory when they’re finished. That Katché’s band is one of the busiest around suggests there’s a market for its music; it doesn’t seem to be a jazz one. See ecmrecords.com