Michael Moore/Peggy Lee/Dylan Van Der Schyff

Michael Moore is a reedist who's been recording for about 20 years, mostly in Holland. Although associated with many free and crazy European musicians, he has a real ear for melody and lyricism, which is a great binding agent to the fluttery sounds of Lee and Van Der Schyff. On this recording, he becomes the de facto leader because of the way his melodies work; Lee occasionally comes to the forefront but she and Van Der Schyff's game plan is to play supporting roles. It sounds like Moore and Lee are in the same harmonic space most of the time, which makes this music sound more composed than it is. I must admit I enjoy it when they explore riff-like passages, as both Moore and Lee are very good at seizing the right repetitions, perhaps Lee has a developed her knack for it in her rock-like big band project. When Moore is in a supporting role, such as the braying bass clarinet work in "Floating 2," he sounds almost cello-like on his clarinet. Van Der Schyff is not out of place in this group, but of the three players he is the most supportive and least assertive and few of the group's ideas stem from what he's playing. Moore holds this disc together with his steady progression from one texture to another.