Antonio Hart - Ama tu Sonrisa

With this album, Antonio Hart returns after a self-imposed, four-year exile from the jazz world. Feeling mired in predictable jazz patterns, Hart took time off to reflect and to travel, absorbing influences from Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East in the process. Ama Tu Sonrisa represents a new creative direction for the young saxophonist. While he's still undeniably rooted in jazz, he makes some unusual moves -- enlisting Richie Goods on electric bass, hiring three percussionists (Renato Thoms, Rolando Morales, Khalil Kwame Bell). Hart's alto, soprano, and flute playing are strong and full of spirit, and pianist Kevin Hays' understated musicianship is indispensable. There are also appearances by tenorist Yosvany Terry, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, and, on the final track, vocalists Lenora Helm and Claudia Acuña. Drummers Camille Gainer and Nasheet Waits anchor the album's eclectic grooves. The percussionists, in particular, are beautifully recorded and mixed, and Goods' occasional use of an octave effect on his bass is a subtle, invigorating touch. Aside from extensively altered treatments of "Have You Met Miss Jones" and "Somewhere" (the latter from West Side Story), the music is all Hart's own. While he gives listeners a lot to chew on, one senses that he is struggling to integrate all his influences and emerge with something truly distinctive. Ama Tu Sonrisa is one step in what will be an ongoing process of self-reinvention. It's a strong, confident step, but not yet the definitive one.