CrosstalkPirouet *****

This inspired encounter between pianist Marc Copland, altoist Greg Osby, bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Victor Lewis is one of those times when gifted players gel to become a collective that, by allowing their individuality to flourish, transcends it. The group's intense, focused interplay is lucid and flexible, handling the adventurous dialogue in Diary of a Dreamor the intriguing verities of Talkin' Blues, where the alto and piano solos characteristically marry surprise and continuity, equally persuasively. The core of an exceptional album is in the longest pieces: Crosstalk's superb jousting and solos; the melancholy Slow Hand, where Copland's linear and harmonic uniqueness coalesce perfectly; Osby's fresh and original approach to Tenderly(with Copland's contrasting, block-chorded solo); and the buoyantly straight ahead assurance of Minority. Special. See pirouet.com