The incredible thing is that "more mainstream" didn't mean any real drop off in artistic quality. The songs have distinguishable melodic lines that contains just enough turns and surprises to keep you continuously engaged. The production is meticulously Pink Floydian, the vocals are superb and the choruses just soar. It's really as close to a flawless mainline rock record you will find that's come out this year.

For a fuller review of Blackfield II, go get the whole story from Glen Boyd's well-written article on this fine release.

Josh Roseman New Constellations
I remember trombone player Josh Roseman from his notable appearance on my favorite Charlie Hunter album. He had a certain sass in his sound that stood out and made me think he wasn't content with being a run-of-the-mill bone player. But that thought never got much further until I got a chance to check out Roseman's own newest release.

It's a live recording of a bone player-led band mixing up jazz with high-tech electronic tricks and mish-mashing other kinds of music (here, it's reggae, avante garde and live dub). Sound familiar? Think of an island-oriented take on Robin Eubanks' excellent Live, Vol. 1. A wonderfully abstract "Olsen Twins Subpoena" and two mixes of a cover of the Beatles' "I Should Have Known Better" turned on its head are among many highlights.

Like Eubanks' latest offering, it's one of the more creatively different jazz records I've heard recently. Did someone decide 2007 was going to be the Year of the Trombone? It sure seems like it.

Bruce Eisenbeil Sextet Inner Constellation, Volume 1
Evidently, the word "constellation" in your CD title means you're gonna stretch people's ears. But while Roseman does it with trippy reggae-jazz, Eisenbeil gets it done with good old fashioned free (read: whack) jazz. Eisenbell is clearly influenced by that godfather of free form guitar, Derek Bailey, but avoids the clone label by actually scoring his music ahead of time and having the players "create" the music itself as it unfolds in the recording of it. A former member of Cecil Taylor's band, he adapted Taylor's late '70s sextet concept using his guitar as the leading instrument instead of piano.

The violin, trumpet, bass, alto sax and drums all take turns to improvise after a new theme in the extended composition is announced The main composition itself is arbitrarily divided up into 27 tracks, presumably at points where the listening can quickly get to critical points of the song. Three, softer "wind-down" tunes finish out the set. This band is probably doing a lot more than what I'm able to pick up with my own ears, but it is fresh, spontaneous and purposeful. Well, at least as purposeful as free jazz gets.

"Quickies" are mini-record reviews of new or upcoming releases. Some albums are just that much more fun to listen to than to write about.