Where pianist Kris Davis' auspicious 2004 debut, Life Span was colored with expansive lyricism and melodic tapestries, her new recording The Slightest Shift is a bolder statement of her compositional prowess, with music that now incorporates abstract, condensed and freer modes.

With a little help from colleagues who also appeared on her debut, are seriously open-minded musicians - including drummer Jeff Davis, bassist Eivind Opsvik and the prolific sax stylist Tony Malaby. The compositions accentuate a group presence, rather than amounting to singular performances; where individual voices are channelled into a convergent path.

The arrangements are similar to conversations where the dialogs actively involve every participant. Occasionally turbulent, other times harmonious, but always interesting; the musicians' voices are individually and collectively dramatic. The opening selection "Bloodwine" is a fine indicator of this intricate collaboration, with everything from unison, dramatic tempo shifts, heavy swing and layered solos. Davis delivers an intense and convulsive solo on "Once" opening up a clear path for Malaby's resonant tenor as the rhythm section adds precision to the controlled cacophony.

But harmony also arises in the midst of these sometimes turbulent waters, as heard on the poignant "Jack's Song," where Davis plays with a tenderness and empathy.

Progressive listeners can take their pick from the avant-gardism of "And Then I Said," the surreal "Morning Stretches," or the circuitous dance of "Twice Escaped," which builds in intensity. Davis has shifted her ideas, and this slightest of adjustments has resulted in a cerebral and captivating recording that's well beyond the standard jazz recording.

Mark F. Turner