Ben Goldberg, John Schott and Michael Sarin - What Comes Before (1998)

What Comes Before is a subdued and quiet album. Excellent musicians all, Ben Goldberg, John Schott, and Michael Sarin play their music with such restraint, it often hovers right at the edge of whispering and minimal. The trio alternates soft, rolling pieces reminiscent of the quiet moments of John Carter's Castles of Ghana, with cerebral tunes of a nonaligned, staccato action that retain a sparse feel throughout. Overall, it's a very tranquil, uncompromising album. © Joslyn Layne