Soar

by Scott YanowDonny McCaslin, who was originally a John Coltrane-inspired tenor saxophonist, has certainly grown as an adventurous improviser in the years since he debuted. On Soar, he begins and ends the set with a Panamaniam folk song, contributing seven originals of his own. McCaslin utilizes the wordless vocals of Luciana Souza on some of the ensembles and there is solo space for guitarist Ben Monder and pianist Orrin Evans, but the leader is the main star much of the time. His music is haunting, unpredictable, melodic in spots, and beyond simple categorization. It is consistently intriguing and inventive.