From the opening notes of Shifty Paradigms, you sense a cinematic quality in Dave Slonaker’s rich music. Slonaker’s experience as a composer, orchestrator, and arranger for film and television informs his jazz genius. What emerges in his music is a sense of story. Each note has, and serves, a distinct purpose, all contributing to an entertaining and provocative  unified listening experience.

This is jazz at its best—organic, complex, and intellectually inspiring—played extremely well.