Gregg August is a very interesting musician indeed. Classically trained, first principally on percussion, he went to Barcelona, then Paris, to live and study, but when he returned to New York he decided to resume his strong passion for jazz and became enamoured with latin music, studying with bassist Andy Gonzalez. Now he combines work as first chair bass with the Brooklyn Philharmonic or the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (which toured Europe with Brad Mehldau) while anchoring JD Allen's brilliant trio, Sam Newsome's quartet and Arturo O'Farrill's orchestra. This is his third album as leader, both of the previous two (Late August and One Peace) having shown up strongly in this writer's ‘Best of’ annual lists and features a quartet with Newsome, the ubiquitous Perdomo and Marcus Strickland's twin, EJ and a sextet with superb soloists, intelligently supported by Rudy Royston's drums. August's woody bass is prominent throughout both sessions, often playing dark, mysterious lines as counterpoint to the main soloists, reflecting the alternating melancholy or exuberance of his compositions, which are exceptionally interesting. The sides with Newsome (whose albums recently have been strictly solo) are stimulating, but, for me, the most magical tracks are those by the sextet. The voicing – and just the overall brooding feel, which is particularly personified in the closing ‘For Miles’ (which he'd have loved) – is harmonically challenging throughout and all the solos by Perdomo, JD, John Bailey (also on Gregg's earlier CDs, but whom I regrettably forgot to mention at the time, especially effective in the lower register) and Yosvany Terry (who is rapidly developing into a major league player) are really special and full of story-telling emotion. Gregg August, a richly talented bassist-composer, really deserves your support. Please check this out.