The maxim that music and math are related is a truism that seldom gets explored in a deep fashion. It lies like a clich�� that we take for granted and rarely appreciate. Daniel Garbin's life and music is a true celebration of that relationship. He is an associate professor with the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY) and a multifaceted musician. His journey from an early love of geometry and number theory to a profound fascination with the guitar, music theory, and the intricate relationship between the physical instrument and the theory of music has been nothing short of remarkable. It exemplifies the seamless integration of mathematics, computer science, and the rich world of music.

One might be surprised to hear that Daniel is primarily a self-taught musician. He picked up the guitar in his teens in Romania and has traversed from rock, blues, fusion and flamenco to jazz. He was inspired by the high level of musicianship in his small Transylvanian city, Baia Mare where he was surrounded by Romanian folklore music as he played Icelandic jazz-rock among other styles. His life led him to New York City where his musical life continued to grow: He played in a Latin-rock band and jammed at famed Greenwich Village jazz venues like Smalls while pursuing his PhD in math at the CUNY Graduate Center. You can hear his passion for music that has always accompanied his academic career as a college professor.

The music on his debut recording, Rising, reflects his love of music and math on many levels. It could be analyzed theoretically in terms of harmony, rhythm and form but for the lay listener and fan of music each piece brings them a different story beyond the theoretical, a journey through Garbin's skillful and emotive writing and the dynamic ensemble he has assembled for this project.

The title track is a perfect example of this. "Rising" brings the Indian sitar to the jazz quintet in substitution for Daniel's guitar. He fell in love with the sitar after a trip to India in 2006 for an academic conference and immediately immersed himself in the sound and style becoming a student of Mita Nag, a 6th generation sitar master of Indian Classical Music from Kolkata. For a guitarist to feature the sitar on the title track shows that he is following his heart. It gives us insight into his development as a musician and is a testament to the organic nature of his approach to music.

The song's inspiration came in part through an exercise he was playing on the sitar. The modal melody floats over a rumba-like rhythm. Since rhythm plays such a major role in Indian music, Garbin felt that the time signature of 4/4 in the main melody should alternate with the 3/4 time signature (interlaid with a fast 6/8) during the interlude. But much like in Indian classical music, the melody dominates over the time signatures, with the latter being conspicuous only to the careful listener. The discerning listener will hear Garbin superimpose the fast 5/8 rhythm over the 4/4 section during his solo. The band is featured with a soaring and impassioned solo by saxophonist Scott Litroff, the impeccable piano playing of Camila Cortina Bello whose solo has multiple rhythmic and harmonic intricacies, and the fretless electric bass of Eddy Khaimovich who at various times in the track plays some subwoofer-low bass notes. The ensemble is grounded with the stellar rhythm and grooves of drummer Brian Woodruff.

The compositions on Rising are influenced by the interweaving of varying rhythms and styles. Take "Rolling Hills" which starts with a medium Latin groove, then goes to a fast 12/8 African inspired rhythm and then to swing in the American jazz tradition. These influences roll into each other naturally, weaving back and forth giving a flow that drives the solos and story with a forward motion and excitement from beginning to end.

Then you have the contrast of "Simi's Bossa" and "Anomisericordo" two beautiful pieces that evoke Brazilian and Cuban influences and rhythms. Both are co-written by Simona Pop who is also a co-producer of the project. A third collaboration between Garbin and Pop is DSD, a track that has an even 8th note, smooth- jazz to funk feel (with some slap-bass from Khaimovich). After a rhythmic band break there's a contrasting melody that is almost Andalusian with a middle-Eastern flair.

"DSD" combines with two other songs that show more influences from jazz-rock, smooth jazz and fusion: "Almost Forgotten"—Like "Satch," a dedication to