American drummer/composer Matt Slocum has a light touch, a strong melodic pulse and is steadily rising up the New York pecking order. His third album as a leader is an ambitious sax and rhythm set of interconnected themes and reprised motifs inspired by the Native American mystic and leader Black Elk, and the book Black Elk Speaks. The overall vibe is wistful and pensive and each track reflects the subtle contours and understated dynamics of the leaders drumming. The CD opens in sombre mood, with tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III ruminating thoughtfully over Gerald Clayton's sensitive accompaniment and closes with the pianist's short, sad reflection on ‘End of a Dream’ – Clayton is on terrific form throughout. In between there's a textbook sax and drum duet to open ‘A Blues’ featuring Walter Smith III, introduced by Slocum making his splash cymbal sound like a bottleneck guitar, ‘Black Elk's Dream’ featuring Dayna Stephens' spiritual sax and the slowburn of ‘Black Hills’, the only track to feature both saxophonists – the composition is a musical response to the Wounded Knee Massacre. Stephens and Smith have similar approaches, but differ in the detail, and their intertwining duet is the highlight of a very good album.