From a stellar lineup of Austin Texas musicians, the Alex Coke & Carl Michel Sextet‘s new recording, Emergence, expands jazz boundaries with a feast of sound. Talk about refreshing. Someone please make a modern day film noir. The soundtrack is already ready. Emergence, overflows with atmosphere, drama, and possible storylines.

Shining with an unmistakable power and deep beauty, the unique instrumentation of horns, harp, guitar, pedal steel, contrabass, and vibes speaks in a compelling ensemble voice, while the soloists deliver a virtuosic exploration via reimagined arrangements and new composition.

The players here (Alex Coke – saxophone, Carl Michel – guitar, Bob Hoffman – steel guitar, Elaine Barber – harp, James Suter – bass, and Carolyn Trowbridge – vibraphone) are an exhilarating cast of instrumentalists, blending and billowing off of each other in perfect proportion. The result is a shimmering journey into rare aural territory and a total pleasure.