A major strength of the sound is the arranging—voices slipping in and out, brief unison sections loosening into overlapping conversations built around spirited soloing. And nobody solos like Hess—each turn he takes glows and flashes like a dark-hued, asymmetrically-cut diamond. Indeed, nobody makes music like Fred Hess. He has developed a truly original sound. Dan McClenaghan-allaboutjazz.com Hess is a compelling stylist; his breathy old school tone softens his modernist angular phrasing. Miles lends a mellifluously abstract edge to the quintet; his solos on the title track and “Ninth House” are expressively fragile in their thematically rigorous beauty. Newcomer Gunther plays with brio and verve, dueling with Hess on a number of invigorating encounters. His acerbic alto solos on “Simple Steps” and “Alison's Dream” are electrifying jolts on a record filled with highlights. Efficiently blending classic hard bop swing and Third Stream ambience ...