Noted for his excellent work with the likes of Makaya McCraven, Walter Smith III and Brandee Younger, vibraphonist Joel Ross has been making steady career progress in the last few years and this Blue Note debut is a worthwhile consolidation of an obvious talent. With Smith in the producer's chair the session has a sense of rigour that sometimes eludes the work of up-and-coming players, and if there is one thing that stands out it is the maturity, if not ‘old folks’ grace of Ross' themes and arrangements. In the right hands the vibraphone can excel for its delicacy of tone and shimmering lyricism, and Ross upholds those values in no uncertain terms with pieces such as ‘More?’ in which he and his quartet conspire to hover on the melody and pulse of the music in a manner that loosely recalls the heyday of masters such as Bobby Hutcherson and the somewhat overlooked Jay Hoggard. The band has an understated but nonetheless firm grip on the core vocab of swing and groove that is well served by the subtle, at times conga-like resonance of Jeremy Dutton's drums and the sharp flurries of Immanuel Wilkins' alto sax. The inclusion of Younger's harp is a smart move insofar as it enhances the glisten and gleam of the harmonies without taking away from the snap and bite of the material, as if Ross was minded to create music that has a svelte, refined but nonetheless grittily communicative character.