Drummer Makaya McCraven supposedly "thinks about rhythm last" when composing, yet his music is all about rhythmic perspicacity. McCraven, who was born in Paris, spent his formative years in Massachusetts and eventually uprooted himself to move to Chicago, uses rhythm as a thickening agent, call to arms, catalyst and continual game changer, throughout this engaging debut.

McCraven put together a piano trio for his first leader date, but he doesn't make the same old piano trio music. This is no take on standards with sparkling cocktail party ��lan or loose, amorphous three-way conversation. This is music made by a 21st century man who sees no need to suppress his hip hop chops or rock spirit in an effort to fit in and be dubbed a jazz drummer. McCraven marries his love for music other than jazz with a more jazz-oriented spirit built around in-the-moment, improvisational cunning and driving grooves throughout this program of original music.

Kaleidoscopic shifts in rhythmic construction serve as an entryway into the album ("Split Decision") and mark the leader as a savvy stick wielder and composer from the get-go. The trio immediately creates a modus operandi built around contrasting spacious sections of music with stimuli-filled episodes that are brimming with rhythmic vitality. They prove that tension and release doesn't always have to revolve around harmony as they create a stir with their cross-rhythmic conversations and then put out the fire by trimming things back in this department.

Pianist Andrew Toombs makes his mark throughout with energetic right hand runs and firm chordal statements, bassist Tim Seisser delivers bubbly solos and seismic support with his electric bass and McCraven displays some fine, future-is-now drumming that calls to mind such forward thinkers as