9:45

A young pianist with plenty of potential, Pamela Hines studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and made her recording debut on this CD. She performs five originals (four of her own) and two Miles Davis songs. Her modern mainstream quintet is excellent (trumpeter Darren Barrett and tenor saxophonist Jacques Schwarz-Bart play many concise and meaningful solos) and various selections feature the full group, her trio and, on "Solar," Hines as a piano soloist. The originals are generally complex (a little influenced by her studies with George Russell) with tricky chord changes and rhythms; "Ice Intro" is in 5/4. Some of the music is introspective (including a duet with bassist David Hines on "Nardis") and even the more cooking performances are thoughtful. With any luck, Pamela Hines should have an important career in jazz. This is an impressive start.