The generous pool of polished jazz musicians in New York for any stylistic/conceptual orchestral project permits composer/arrangers to be confident in suiting up a dynamite band to interpret their music. There are naturally musicians with a high inventive quotient. So it is with the well-endowed Gotham Jazz Orchestra on Mike Holober's Thought Trains. Pianist/composer/arranger Holober's imaginative writing loads up fresh, unexpected palettes on this CD. It was recorded in 1996 but wasn't mixed for release until last year. Easily worth the wait, as Holober's ideational concepts of instrumental voicings reveal a keen harmonic sense and a sharpened skill in transmuting his writing for jazz ensemble. His astute pick of notes in voicings is such that as the chords are hit, all the choice notes are there, giving unfailing rewards with unremitting satisfaction. His versatility and resourcefulness come across in the diverse contexts from the opener, "Jump Down, Spin Around," onward through the program of eight pieces. The sketches are amply loose to counter any erosion of spontaneity. Witness the fine solo work of the superior players: A sampling includes stalwarts Scott Wendholt, Tony Kadleck, Pat Hallaran, Jon Gordon, Dave Pietro, Charles Pillow, Tim Ries, Dave Gilmore, and John Riley. Exciting highlights such as bassist Ron Carter's dialogue with Holober on "Waltz Medium" crown this eventful trip of Thought Trains.

— Dr. Herb Wong
© IAJE Jazz Education Journal, Vol. 37 #4