The fifth album from one of Holland's most sophisticated young post-bop saxophonists, The Dawn of Light is also a notable progress in artistic terms on her previous excursion which featured American pianist Geri Allen, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and bassist Scott Colley. This time Postma turns to her contemporaries on the Dutch scene and the non-laboured group interaction is a positive outcome of their work together during the previous four years. Aside from a sensuous version of Brazilian composer Heitor Villa Lobos's ‘Cancao DeAmor’ that opens the album, Postma continues her subtle exploration of free-bop harmony on a set of originals. While her lyrically probing phrases and vocalised sound are strongly indebted to Wayne Shorter (and the band can evoke Shorter's contemporary Quartet), more breathy, willowy qualities on alto sax also point to a Lee Konitz influence especially on the snaky Tristano-like theme of ‘Falling Scales’. Along the way the Grammy award-winning Esperanza Spalding (Postma is a sometime member of her band) sweetens things up as guest vocalist on ‘Leave me a Place Underground’, written by Postma with words lifted from a Pablo Neruda poem. While Marc Van Roon's subtle Stevie Wonder-like synth intervention on ‘The Man who Stared at Coats’ and on the jazz rock-ish ‘Beyond Category’ as the title indicates, also shows Postma is not shut in by more mainstream jazz traditions. It's only a slight intrusion though and pays tribute to her unwavering dedication to the contemporary free bop lineage at the expense of more fashionable hybrids.