RADIOLARIANS II

Wavering between avant-garde and more straightforward jazz, this generally enjoyable outing has some rather nice laidback piano-dominated moments. I don't expect it to appeal to everyone or even most, but for those who enjoy both breezy and lounging jazz music with occasional eccentricities, this is a great listen.

"Flat Tires" Arbitrary noises like drums and banging on a piano underscore a gritty riff. Over light drumming and bass is some atonal piano. Initially, I wondered what I was getting myself into, but fortunately the opener is more of an anomaly than anything else.

"Junkyard" A harsh, electronic tone subtlety dominates the beginning, but soon a wobbly bass and drums join. The piece has a pleasant, almost Cajun feel.

"Padirecto" Easygoing bass, percussion, and light piano make up a track that sounds like a bit of instrumental Norah Jones. The ending and the transition to it is nothing less than stellar.

"Ijiji" This strangely-titled piece has extremely pleasant moments interspersed with prattling nonsense. It's difficult to decide if I like it.

"Riffin' Ed" Gentle jazz piano caresses the listener's ears until it settles into an upbeat yet still laidback groove, full of entertaining piano licks.

"Amber Gris" A shadowy piano riff in an odd time signature lays the foundation for this piece. It stays fairly repetitive as a riff similar to that used in Weather Report's "Birdland" takes over.

"Chasen vs Suribachi" Certainly one of the stranger tracks, this has heavy drumming, Mellotron, unstable tempos, and bizarre instrumentation throughout.

"Dollar Pants" A ridiculously repetitive riff serves as something for the piano to solo over. It's fun, but doesn't go anywhere.

"Amish Pinxtos" Borrowing from old funk and fusion, this piece incorporates what sounds like a harmonica over a jaunty rhythm section. It also involves some quirky instrumentation.

"Baby, Let Me Follow You Down" Dissonant yet slow piano opens the final track, a rendition of a traditional blues tune made popular by Bob Dylan.