Saxophonist, composer and arranger Michael Blake has established his presence in the jazz world, while his work gracefully erases the borders between different areas of music. He chooses to play progressive jazz-based music rooted in his family's remembrances with a sextet of like-minded modern creative players that use admittedly traditional sounds in a non-traditional manner. This collection of original compositions uses collective themes and motifs that stretch the imagination, yet remains within a colorful framework of highly motivated and intelligent designs that bear little resemblance to standardized tune structures. Extended techniques and odd meters are at the center of Blake's personalized music, as he plays primarily tenor sax and some soprano to extend these older values into new music beyond simple categories.

Saxophonist, composer and arranger Michael Blake has established his presence in the jazz world, while his work gracefully erases the borders between different areas of music. He chooses to play progressive jazz-based music rooted in his family's remembrances with a sextet of like-minded modern creative players that use admittedly traditional sounds in a non-traditional manner. This collection of original compositions uses collective themes and motifs that stretch the imagination, yet remains within a colorful framework of highly motivated and intelligent designs that bear little resemblance to standardized tune structures. Extended techniques and odd meters are at the center of Blake's personalized music, as he plays primarily tenor sax and some soprano to extend these older values into new music beyond simple categories.

Vancouver pianist and composer Chris Gestrin has drawn comparisons to Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, if either of those masters were young today and equally at home with the acoustic and the electronic, jazz and ambient. Gestrin's handpicked versatile quintet, featuring trumpeter Brad Turner, creates rich images in sound. From a tender solo piano improvisation to swirling group inventions, a narrative of almost cinematic sweep unfolds. Gestrin’s compositions range across jazz, experimental music, new age and world music for their ideas, but this is not “fusion” in any ordinary sense; there is too much originality and panache for that. The multi-channel remix opens on an imaginary environment that connoisseurs of surround sound, whether jazz fans or not, will surely appreciate.

In the summer of 2004 Vancouver keyboardist Chris Gestrin spent three intense days in the studio on a Steinway D, recording in high resolution DSD with nine different duo and trio groupings of musicians from Vancouver’s vibrant music scene. Apart from a handful of compositions including a few solo piano pieces, all the music was completely improvised, exploring the process of spontaneous composition with concentration, finesse and expressive power. In the exposed settings on this 2007 release, success depended on sustaining the inspiration of the moment.