Mise En Place (feat. Ohad Talmor, Dan Weiss & Miles Okazaki)

Tenor saxophonist and composer Ohad Talmor uses an offbeat instrumentation of horn, guitar, and drums on *Mise En Place*, a set of his own compositions and two by John Coltrane (“Wise One,” “After the Rain”). Guitarist Miles Okazaki and drummer Dan Weiss have their own shared history as a duo, which helps them deal with Talmor’s rather difficult material in a relaxed and natural way. The line between composition and improvisation is well-blurred, and the players rarely stay in any set, predictable role in terms of timekeeping, accompaniment, and solo rotation. Their sounds become enmeshed in a freewheeling interplay. They’re responsive on a dime with Talmor’s challenging written parts—you simply have to be—while also taking liberties to explore and feed off each other. There’s an angularity and jagged funkiness to the music, though when it comes to Coltrane—two of his most ethereal, hymn-like pieces—the trio enters a quieter, more contemplative space.