Garden of Expression

Following up his 2019 ECM debut, Trio Tapestry, tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano reunites with two of the finest improvisers in the field on Garden of Expression. Pianist Marilyn Crispell and drummer Carmen Castaldi lend their sensitivity and attuned instincts to this set of eight Lovano originals, soaring over expansive, out-of-tempo soundscapes akin to those of the previous album. It’s a language of lyrical melody and open space, with rich, unfolding harmony from the piano and sparse texture and flow from the drums and cymbals—not to mention the gongs that Lovano introduces on “Garden of Expression,” “Treasured Moments,” and the closer, “Zen Like.” Playing a bit of soprano sax and tárogató as well, Lovano covers a spectrum, from the impressionistic modernism of “Night Creatures” to the almost medieval-sounding structures of the title track. “Dream on That” raises the temperature and gets busier, a glimmer of free-jazz energy amid a prevailing calm.