When a CD is released, one of its most revealing aspects—and that of the artist's mindset during the recording process—is the title that has been assigned. With a title like Breathing, there are several things that can be presupposed: first, maybe the artist recorded the album in a stiflingly hot space and the title was chosen for its irony; second, perhaps making the music was as effortless a process as breathing; or third, it's possible that the process of creating the music was so essential to life that it ranked as being, in the artist's mind, as necessary as the need to breathe. Whatever rationale, Jerusalem-born drummer Dan Aran's debut as a bandleader is a breath of fresh air.

What sustains Aran's proverbial breathing is the support he receives from a highly skilled group of musicians, along with a good selection of music. Featuring only four of his own compositions, Aran's approach to recording is that of a man with no ego or pretense—the best music gets featured here whether it was composed under Aran's pen or someone else's. With standout performances occurring on "Sun Bath," "Schnozel," "I'm So Blue," "Riva," "I Concentrate on You," "Tenderly," and "Gul Lihibib" the music is understated yet present. There are no overly dramatic flourishes or grand gestures played on the recording, in fact, Aran probably has the softest stroke of any drummer on the jazz scene today, but with contributions from a talented band of musicians that includes pianist