Ted Nash - In the Loop (2006)

Ted Nash returns to modern mainstream jazz on this mostly straight-ahead quintet set, In the Loop. Nash's originals include brooding ballads à la Wayne Shorter, hints of New Orleans parade rhythms, some hard bop and freer playing, none of it sounding particularly derivative. Nash and the enthusiastic Marcus Printup make for a colorful front line, with Frank Kimbrough, Ben Allison, and Matt Wilson being a solid and flexible rhythm section. The diverse compositions and consistently strong playing make this a set well-worth exploring.