By Ian Indo on Sat, 05/09/2009 - 10:13pm

Sophisticated. Classic. Sensibility. These three words describe the latest release from the James Buckley Trio. The title Knowing and Losing is a sign of the maturity found throughout the album. It features the free jazz of youthful experimentation yet is anchored firmly in an almost benevolent intelligence. The music feels full of flight, yet doesn't drift to far from the tree tops. It wants to be out there, ascending past the heavens, but at the same time close enough it can keep in contact with the listener. It is the listener's treat to have a band so capable of inaccessible travels, light the way and keep a pace we can follow.

James Buckley starts off the album with a playful bass line, which J.T. Bates on drums, and Bryan Nichols on piano, follow in toe. Like kids running to the park, the music skips and jumps with life. About a third of the way through the first song Cover Art, the pace changes, and becomes reflective and nostalgic.This is a memory. Soon the tune is brimming with complexities and conflict until it is subdued by the drums' discipline. And by the time it is done, the listener sees the ripples of youth travel a path of their own. Buckley's bass line has matured. Nichols' piano has calmed. Bates' drums compliment rather than seek to control.

The second song, Amnty, is a classy number fit for seven course meal at a restaurant with a wine list eight times the size of the menu. Bright enough to warm a room. Fit for background music. If you listen close enough, you can hear the verbal creative process in the growls and hums of one of the trio. Towards the end of the tune, they pivot to the foreground, and their music gets as edgy as a serrated steak knife. Then they return to serenity and fall like a thin line of smooth caramel over rich hazelnut gelato, completing the dinner.

Catching Up builds itself off on a melody that seems familiar. It starts out serious and precise and then finds ways to expressively bend and push the framework it began with. Like a bird in a cage causing havoc, the song flutters and rattles before ending abruptly with little resolve.

The remaining portion of the album features a string of songs that make for great thinking music. These tunes deserve an aged Syrah and fine cheese. A fire lit by a long stemmed match. They are classic and thought provoking without being intrusive. Completely fit to reside in the background like a leafy plant in the corner of a room. You may not notice it is there all the time, but when you do, it warms your heart and calms your mind.

Rating 9.2