I was out clubbing a few years ago and heard Ryan playing piano with a pick-up trio for Richie Cole. The gig was a bit of a mess, Richie seemed unhappy but Ryan held his own through it all and impressed me. This CD puts it all together for us; Ryan is a heavyweight composer and pianist that must be heard. The entire program consists of original compositions flawlessly performed by a stellar group of young Chicago musicians including Orbert Davis, Jim Gailloreto, John McLean, Jim Cammack, Tom Hipskind, Dede Sampaio and others. In this day of far too much retro jazz, it took real courage to produce an album of all originals, but the listener is well rewarded for taking the time. Each composition has a certain charm and is nearly a concert within itself. Get this one and enjoy the modem harmony, lyrical solos and tight ensembles with a solid rhythm section. Steve Yates is responsible for the great recording and mix. Overall, this is music is for those who have the capacity to think fast and comprehend creative modem jazz of the highest order.--M. V.

Chicago pianist Ryan Cohan's new recording might strike some listeners as lightweight, if only because of the transparency of the arrangements and the sweetness of the harmonic vocabulary. Listen closely, however, and you'll be struck by the exquisite detail of the writing, which allows for expressive reed playing from Jim Gailloreto, softly shimmering lines from trumpeter Orbert Davis and an array of evocative percussion effects. Uninterested in keyboard ostentation of any kind, Cohan is content to create atmospheric pieces, with subtle arrangements by Cohan and Chicago composer Cliff Colnot. This is not a record that follows prevailing trends in jazz---it's too softly understated and warmly lyric for that---and Cohan deserves considerable credit for following his own muse.--Howard Reich.