Tomonao Hara 原朋直 New York Quartet “ Pinocchio” (Zoo’T Records) 2001

Trumpeter Tomonao Hara has recorded several CDs with excellent New York session players, but the backing of the rhythm section of Orrin Evans, Dwayne Burno, and Nasheet Waits really brings out the best of Hara and the tunes he’s chosen. The quartet sounds practiced and intimate, digging into tunes from Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter with obvious relish. Hara’s trumpeting has never sounded so good. He branches out from his usual smooth, near-classical playing into an edginess that has the right amount of friction. His keen awareness of the spirit of the originals helps him walk the line between inventive and cohesive. This quartet lands comfortably between cool and bop.