Chicago Underground Trio: The Flamethrower CD

The Trio, actually a quartet since the addition of Jeff Parker on guitar, continues in their quest for the hippest sounds in new jazz. Straight up bop dominates on this disc with drummer Chad Taylor swinging the beat like it's 1956. Likewise, bassman Noel Kupersmith keeps the music rooted in fluent walking lines. With this solid foundation cornetist Rob Mazurek is allowed a ton of room to stretch out in his Miles/Cherry harmonic investigations. These guys always sound good, but the real treat is Parker's playing - effortlessly switching from quirky be-bop runs to spaced-out soul/jazz and tweaked avant- gardisms. Electronic musings play as interludes between the meatier jazz tracks. This is great crossover music that has the rare ability to transcend genre and reflect on the better aspects of modern music. Bundy K. Brown's lush production, working at Riverside Studio, only heightens the music's sense of timelessness. (Delmark, 4121 N. Rockwell, Chicago, IL 60618)