Where We Started is either the third or fourth album by New York-based Shore – an earlier work, Filaments, was enthusiastically reviewed in Jazzwise 171 but the one before that (For Away Places) seems to be unacknowledged in his current press release. Another small mystery is that the new album appears to contain a four-movement suite, with two other tracks intervening between what are billed as ‘III’ and ‘IV’, but which is not specifically explained in the accompanying booklet. No matter, the mostly original material is compelling, with an energy and lyricism that sound like a New York response to ECM music. Shore is a fluent pianist but also an interesting composer who can make often minimal materials go a long way, aided in no small part by saxophonist Stephens and guitarist Monder, who only plays on half the tracks but adds considerably to the overall mood. The non-original repertoire consists of a spacey take on ‘Gesualdo’, a more lively number by one of Shore's teachers Hal Crook, and a lovely slow quartet reading of Gil Evans's arrangement of ‘Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess’.