like silver, like song

Soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom is nothing if not forward-looking, a fact not lost on NASA, which—in 1989—gave her its first commission. That piece, “Most Distant Galaxy,” wound up on her 1992 CD, art and aviation. Just 50, Bloom has steadily moved from straight-ahead jazz to the use of electronics, and her “electro-acoustic band” includes bassist Mark Dresser, “keyboardist/electronics wizard” Jamie Saft and drummer Bobby Previte. She easily moves from outer space to inner space, as evidenced by her previous CD, 2002’s Chasing Paint (Jane Ira Bloom Meets Jackson Pollock), with pianist Fred Hersch and Dresser and Previte. The soprano sax is difficult to master, so much so that it earned the nickname “fish horn,” since it reminded some of fish peddlers announcing their presence, but Bloom’s purity of tone is outstanding. Here the group essays 14 numbers that combine edgy electronic sounds with soulful acoustic music that will either soothe you or drive you up the wall, depending on your tolerance for challenging music. An MP3 downloadable version of the CD is also included.