Pianist Michel Reis follows along the crystalline path of Germany's ECM label, 1970s proponents of exquisite acoustic chamber jazz. Like his forebears, Reis' compositions thrum with a cool, focused pulse; the bluesy swing of jazz is instilled with a strong harmonic similarity to Debussy and other 20th-century classical Impressionists. Reis' band isn't afraid to raise its voice in carefully etched cacophony, but the heart of his music is calm and reflective, and leaves little room for the dull routine of contemporary jazz in which solo follows solo like children waiting in line for the microphone at the talent show.
