One of the most imaginative drummers in New York, Seattle’s Jim Black has worked with Tim Berne and Dave Douglas as well as leading several of his own groups. On Somatic, however, he moves from the unkempt long grass explored with the ground breaking, rock-infl uenced AlasNoAxis on to the well-worn path of the piano trio. It’s an appealingly counterintuitive step, and these restrained, immaculately executed tracks certainly demonstrate his versatility. Yet it’s frustrating to hear Black, a highly energetic player also known for his imaginative incorporation of electronics, playing music that minds its manners and stays so stubbornly acoustic. The musicianship – not only from Black, but also Californian bassist Thomas (Steve Coleman, David Binney) and the young Austrian pianist Elias Stemeseder – is exquisite but, married to driftwood compositions, seems content to stay in the background. After the initial surprise of the new format, there are no alarms and no surprises – beyond the lack of alarms and surprises.