Admired in the UK by younger generations of saxophonists such as Adam Waldmann and guitarist Hannes Riepler (who recently partnered him in the latter's Wild Life quartet recording), Chris Cheek is notably an ex-sideman of the late Paul Motian and Steve Swallow and his new CD indulges in his varied interests in American popular music from the loping pedal steel country-rock plod of the opening ‘String Opener’, through to ‘Bucky’s Blues' that's reminiscent of Cheek's influential grunge rock-influenced band Bloomdaddies. Cheek demonstrates a happy medium between urban grit and an expressively airy side on the melancholic country pedal-steel lilting ballad ‘Slow Ships’ and Jobim's bossa ‘Forever Green’, which is the only cover. The title track joins up an interest in Olivier Messiaen scales with Arabic melody and there's a hint of the latter on his new wave-y ‘Alhambros’ while the ex-Brad Mehldau trio drummer Jorge Rossy' vibes on the ‘Eye Factory’ with the Wayne Krantz-influenced Steve Cardenas' guitar central to the rock-fuelled ‘Strawberry Jam’ and ‘Ginger Something’.