Bassist Matt Brewer's sax and rhythm trio had its genesis in Greg Osby's turn-of-the-century bands. Tenor saxophonist Mark Shim recorded with Osby on Blue Note before recording as a leader – the tense ‘Don't Wake the Violent Baby’ from Shim's 2000 Blue Note album Turbulent Flow is included here – and Brewer joined drummer Damion Reid in Osby's working band in 2002. Since then, career paths have overlapped, but it was only recently that the three musicians starting working sporadically round NYC as a trio. This album shows them fusing their common past into a vibrant mix of tight themes, ensemble interplay and solos that shout out. Leader Brewer is both woody-toned rock and counterpoint inspiration, drummer Reid delivers vortex rhythms while marking time and Shim's acerbic imagination comes with a warm, furry sound. The parameters of the trio's aesthetic are set by the album's covers. Ron Carter's ‘RJ’ and Joe Henderson's ‘Afro Centric’ have tricky themes and clear harmonic roots; Ornette Coleman's ‘Eos’ and Dewey Redman's ‘Willisee’ are more noticeably free. And a relaxed ‘When Sunny Gets Blue’ shows the trio brilliantly holding a tune. The remainder of the album consists of four Brewer covers. The fugue and strum theme of ‘Ganymede’ arcs into a slow burn then fades, the intricate ‘Triton’ includes a Shim phonic blast and ‘Lo’ floats dreamily over firm bass support. Brewer, an equal partner throughout, sets up the lyrical angularity of ‘Psalm’ with a solo highlight two tracks from the album's end.