ZMF Trio

Circle the Path is simultaneously well crafted and spontaneously realised. And with such strong individualists involved the path the music takes covers some fascinating territory. Violinist Jesse Zubot is clearly challenged by the material he and his cohorts — long-time collaborator Jean Martin (drums) and international heavy-hitter Joe Fonda (bass) — bring to the studio. Zubot unleashes his formidable chops on some intriguing self-penned originals, such as the deep groove of "Slow Blues” and the stop-starts of "Mishap.” His playing isn’t all pyrotechnics but gets into the microstructures of tone and timbre with exquisite, harmonically rich whispers, sly glissandi and some funky pizzicato to boot. As always, the rapport between Zubot and Martin is telepathic and mutually supportive, as mysterious bass drum bumps and brushed snare rustlings envelope the improvisations. Bassist Fonda feels right at home in this setting and his two compositions, "Next Step” and "The Path,” are arguably the CD’s highlights, with strong lines, moods and playing from all. The overall feel of Circle is pensive but the careful listener will be drawn into the sonic world ZMT Trio create.