Wycliffe Gordon's fourth Criss Cross release features tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake and drummer Bill Stewart, who appeared also on the trombonist's critically acclaimed 2002 recording, United Soul Experience, plus Hammond B3 organist Sam Yahel and guitarist Peter Bernstein.

The mixture of familiar and new company fuels Gordon's prodigious talents as a composer, arranger, and soloist.

Uitlizing various combinations of instruments, he creates an eclectic yet coherent program out of funky jazz grooves, blues, and ballads.

 Part of a new breed of jazz artists expanding the mainstream language in fresh and stimulating ways, trumpeter Ryan Kisor's Awakening returns to the organ combo as heard on his debut Criss Cross set Battle Cry.

This time around however, Kisor leaves the standards behind and opts for his own originals, which cover a good deal of ground - from the ballad tempo of Harlem Moon to the bop-inflected Effing Blues.

In addition to Kisor's own bristling solo work, organist Sam Yahel, guitarist Peter Bernstein, and tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart are heavily featured throughout this fervent showcase. On drums the great Willie Jones III.

 For his third Criss Cross release with his quintet of up-and-coming stars - trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, tenor saxophonist Jimmy Greene, pianist Orrin Evans, and bassist Eric Revis - Ralph Peterson offers his most mature and accomplished album yet.

Like his mentor, Art Blakey, Peterson shapes the flow, stamping a set of primarily original music with his inimitable rhythmic personality.

 Thirteen years and seven recordings after beginning his association with Criss Cross, John Swana presents his first album as the sole front-line horn.

Spurred by an ace rhythm section comprising Dutch guitar great Jesse Van Ruller, bass megastar John Patitucci, and young drum lion Eric Harland, the Philadelphia based trumpeter rises to the occasion sensationally, navigating eight original compositions with the melodic flair and technical prowess that have stamped him as a long-time Criss Cross favorite.

Like the rest of Swana's recorded oeuvre, On Target testifies to his world-class talent, his ability to flourish in the company of jazz grandmasters, an elite cohort to which he clearly belongs.

 Following up on his strong 2002 debut, Art of the Invisible, guitarist Adam Rogers returns with the remarkable Allegory.

The lineup from the first record, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Scott Colley, drummer Clarence Penn, remains in place. But as if that weren't enough, tenor saxophonist Chris Potter joins to generate even more improvisational heat.

Rogers once again proves himself to be one of the most musical, technically gifted players on the scene.

His wholly original program ranges from the acoustic ballad Red Leaves to the dizzyingly complex New Fast to the haunting, hard swinging Phyrigia.