Every. One. Of. These. Tracks. Is. A. Keeper. To be swept up in a fervor when listening to music (always an unexpected pleasure) and finding it next to impossible not to write about the experience—during as well as after—is the dream all music journalists crave and celebrate every time they find themselves returning to that zone. Indeed, and in case you didn't know, every one of the writers you read here at allboutjazz.com writes for free. Why? My guess is because they 1) haven't been given a paying assignment on what they are writing about, 2) they just need to write, to get it out of their system or (my all-time favorite) 3) they have to, are so moved to write because, like a secret you can't keep, they are celebrating, they have to share what just happened to them. And, in the music journalist's case, that means sharing it with others, both near and far through their writing. All told, I'd venture to say my colleagues here at AAJ share a passion to express the inexpressible experienced when jolted by certain musical sounds.

As for the rapturous cause of the present effect, or affect, a full discourse would take many more "pages" than this column is designed for. Entitled Now's the time III: The best in contemporary jazz from France & Luxembourg, 13 tracks cover a digest of what's been happening from a country always brimming with art, some of it jazz. But nowhere this year, or perhaps in recent memory, has a collection been so intriguing, diverse and creatively resonant to this listener. A compilation, it bears but does not reflect the reputation of being an assortment of goodies, a summary of snacks that smack ... of formula, most likely imported and barfed out from the usually unremarkable American music business mindset. (In other words, trendy, topical, boring.)

The complete list of bands contained herein is listed at the bottom of this review. Room only allows for a sampling. Again, and to repeat, the threat to making a compilation is either to devolve into a breezy snooze or gathering tired variations on a theme. Which makes this collection (and most likely volumes I and II, which feature music from other parts of the world) such a great listening experience.

Complied by Kevin Le Gendre, the moniker "the best in contemporary jazz" might throw American fans, given how that word means something different stateside. Refreshingly, "contemporary" here translates into innovative or even experimental at times. The music, generally speaking, is jazz in that it is improvisational, tends to have an elastic rhythmic feel from track to track, and the emphasis on composition exists in support of the players. Songs range from just under eight minutes (the opening rat-a-tat- tat, peppy horn-and-electric-piano "Tongs Of Joy" by the