Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra

It must have been an adventure growing up in a family that produced two such gifted musical sisters: trumpeter/fluegelhornist Ingrid and saxophonist/composer Christine. Their respective talents are showcased in this extended meditation on the West Coast environment where they grew up and the trees in a series of Emily Carr paintings. "Dancing Sunlight" features a strong, Sam Rivers-ish tenor solo by Joel Miller, a welcoming "hello" to the broad, encompassing sounds of the next seven pieces. The composer clearly loves jazz big band, its gestures, vocabulary and sonorities, all of which she employs with confidence and genuine respect for the tradition that precedes her. Altoist Donny Kennedy gets lots of ensemble support to say his piece on "Arbutus," with its winning mix of sectional workouts and pastoral interludes. The gorgeous antiphonal opening of "Western Yew" sets the scene for a longingly lyrical soprano sax melody and solo by Miller, a muscular, chord-based piano solo by Steve Amirault and arching, majestic lines by sister Ingrid. Treelines embodies the centrality of nature in our lives in the musical landscapes it paints and the ecologically conscious packaging that carries Jensen's vision out into the world.