Originating in the University of South Florida (from where jazz educator Chuck Folds will retire later this year), the Jazz Surge began life in 1995 as a repertory band and ended up becoming a vehicle for Owen's own compositions and arrangements. En route, he has accumulated seven Grammy nominations while musicians such as Chick Corea, Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, Bob Brookmeyer and Gerald Wilson have guested with the band. The album, intended to celebrate 25 years of Jazz Surge, contains six Owen's originals plus ‘Chelsea Shuffle’ by Chick Corea and ‘Milestones’ by Miles Davis. On the latter, Owen weaves in his own composition ‘Surge’ to puzzling mash-up effect. More successful is ‘American Noir’, a reflection on the Trump Presidency, and ‘Sparks Fly’. But there’s no getting away from the feeling that the band is a forum where like-minded craftsmen gather to sharpen their skills on a repertoire whose complexity is best appreciated by the participants.