David Hazeltine's third Criss Cross release features him in the company of tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, bassist Dwayne Burno, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. The pianist contributes three originals, two of which, "Naccara" and "A Touch of Green," share a similarly spacious, hard bop-oriented harmonic layout. The third, "Blues Quarters," is a 16-bar minor blues. Its form can be divided into quarters (hence the title), a fact that becomes especially interesting during the "trading fours" rounds with the drummer. On this tune and on Charlie Parker's "Cheryl," Alexander's and Hazeltine's mastery of the bop-blues idiom is astonishing. The lightning-quick closing track, "What Are You Doing?," also highlights Alexander's talent as a writer. Of the standards on the record, the bright Latin rendition of "Cry Me a River" is novel, but "Milestones" and "Spring Is Here" don't really rise above the ordinary. On the whole, however, this is a strong offering from one of the most consistent straight-ahead pianists on the jazz scene. ~ David R. Adler

Trumpeter John Swana leads his Philly Gumbo session under the name "John Swana and the Philadelphians," a knowing reference to a 1958 album by Benny Golson. Fittingly, the record showcases a number of excellent straight-ahead players who aren't widely known outside of Philadelphia: tenor saxophonist Bootsie Barnes, pianist Sid Simmons, bassist Mike Boone, and drummer Byron Landham. The mostly original music is solidly within the hard bop tradition. Boone contributes a fine piece called "Old Head" and collaborates with Swana on the ballad "John Wayne," which is named for John Coltrane and Wayne Shorter. Other highlights include the medium-fast "Up Jumped Bootsie" (loosely based on Freddie Hubbard's "Up Jumped Spring") and the rubato finale, "Tot Ziens," an out-of-character trio feature for the leader on fl�gelhorn. Swana's frontline rapport with Barnes is exceptional, and his horn is consistently spry and insightful. ~ David R. Adler

One of David Kikoski's strongest offerings, Inner Trust is a departure in that it focuses primarily on non-original material. Three of the ten tracks are by the pianist, but the rest are standards and jazz classics. Joined by Leon Parker on drums and fellow Roy Haynes sideman Ed Howard on bass, Kikoski reaches consistently grand heights of harmonic invention on burning numbers like "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" and John Coltrane's "Some Other Blues." "Winnie's Garden," a Kikoski-penned workout over the chord changes to "Sweet Georgia Brown," practically overflows with energy. And Thelonius Monk's "We See" swings with almost comic cleverness. On the softer side are "You Don't Know What Love Is," "Old Folks," and the unaccompanied "Once Upon a Summertime." "Two Lonely People," a little-known song composed by master pianist Bill Evans and once sung by Tony Bennett, is also noteworthy. Of the two remaining originals, "Mirical" is mannered, but the title track is one of Kikoski's finest achievements -- a simple, stately melody that serves as a launching pad for bold and impassioned improvisation. (A version for quintet can be heard on Roy Haynes's Praise.) ~ David R. Adler