TEN

Pianist and composer Jason Moran is one of the key jazz artists of his generation. On the impressive *Ten*, he leads the Bandwagon, a trio featuring longtime collaborators Tarus Mateen on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. Moran embraces the jazz tradition while quietly pushing the music forward and outward. *Ten* includes two versions of “Study No. 6,” a piece by the maverick American composer Conlon Nancarrow, best known for dizzyingly complex works for player piano. The first time around, Moran makes the melody dance as the drums rumble in inventive ways; the latter take slows things way down, with the rhythm section nicely interacting with lyrical piano. “Blue Blocks,” which manages to feel both visceral and heady, evokes Keith Jarrett’s engaging improvisational takes on blues and gospel. “RFK In the Land of Apartheid” has a herky-jerky sense of drive propelled by a fierce bass line, while the moody “Feedback, Pt. 2” finds the band accompanied by feedback sourced in a Jimi Hendrix performance. “Old Babies” has an old-fashioned feel that the band keeps playfully messing with.

Then is now

Jason Moran's 2010 effort Ten features more of the jazz pianist's smart and forward-thinking jazz.