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The inspiration for the present quintet of this Russian-born trumpet and flugelhorn player came partly as a result of having played together with guitarist Adam Rogers and drummer Antonio Sanchez in the one-and-only Michael Brecker's (R.I.P.) quindectet line-up ("Wide Angles", 2003, Verve), the sleeve notes state, which were written by the bandleader's singer/songwriter wife, Monday Michiru, herself being the daughter of saxophonist Charlie Mariano. The music vocabulary lies somewhere midway between mainstream and modern jazz, the first 4 songs being more of the explorative kind.

The highlights are: the detached piece 'miniature' by Sipiagin features his chat w/ tenor saxist Seamus Blake (impro. on tracks 5, 6, 7) gradually building up to crescendo, which then segues into Scott Colley's solo (also on tr. 1, 2) on double bass for a cooler; A. Rogers' playful theme 'pictures', having contrapuntal horn arrangement and trading steel-string acoustic guitar in accompaniment for electric axe to delineate his ideas; 'snova' turns out to be an engaging Jobim-esque bossa by P. Metheny, w/ S. Blake's t. sax impro. and Rogers' passionate contribution on classical guitar.

'Son of thirteen' is, of course, another Latin-flavoured song by Metheny that has gained popularity in its version for the guitarist-composer's "Day trip" album being recorded 3 years later. The disc starts off w/ two Sipiagin originals and is concluded w/ a graceful arrangement befitting such a great title as pianist Bill Evans' 'turn out the stars'.
running time: 55.37 mins.