Bassist-composer-bandleader Dresser has been a highly-respected presence on the New York scene since the 1970s and his recorded output is consistently good. This, however, is a creative peak in his recent discography. First and foremost, the sound palette of the unusually configured ensemble is striking.

The dynamic range offered by the opposing poles of trombone and flute, with the clarinet and violin floating between, enables Dresser to fashion a chiaroscuro ambience that turns from the luminous to the ominous in the space of a few beats. But most impressively there is a juxtaposition of quasi-Dixieland sensibilities and jaunty postmodernism in the arrangements, with many pieces evolving liberally to a baroque flourish without any loss of focus.

Although well committed to experimental work, Dresser also has a gift for melodic composition where an abundance of crisscross motifs and freewheeling counterpoint make the ensemble seem much bigger than it is, as was the case in Mingus’ bands.

The net result is music that has the punch of a small group and the detail of an orchestra, and while every player shines as a soloist, especially the highly-charged violinist David Morales Boroff, Sedimental You is a case of the whole being greater than the sum of the substantial parts.