A warmly well-crafted second set from the trio of pianist
Kevin Hays, bassist
Ben Street, and drummer
Billy Hart – one that has an even more cohesive, group-directed vibe than their debut! The setting's a bit different, the group have grown a lot together, and there's a resonance here that's wonderful – with
Hays' piano ringing out on all these long, lyrical lines – as
Street wraps things together with a sense of flowing spirit – and
Billy Hart continues to be a mature master showing that less is often more on the drums! The approach is maybe illustrated perfectly on the group's take on "With A Little Help From My Friends" – which could be a thematic title for the album – but the whole thing's great too, on titles that include "Song For Peace", "Irah", "Throughout", "Butterfly", "Capricorn", and a very fresh take on Milton Nascimento's classic "Bridges".