Saxophonist Jon Gordon's superb 13th release as a leader, Stranger Than Fiction, consists of 10 cinematic and captivating originals. Gordon leads a large ensemble of mostly Canadian musicians through his vibrantly textured compositions. The focus is more on dynamic interplay of different band members and orchestral segments than on individual expressions. There are, however, brilliantly virtuosic soloists who seamlessly emerge out of these vividly ebullient works making them even more electrifyingly alive.

Opening with delightfully dissonant staccato woodwinds and brass, "Pointillism" sets the tense ambience which permeates the entire recording. Gordon takes a brief and fiery solo while the rhythm trio's restless cadence percolates in the background. Similarly dramatic is the mellifluous "Havens" which is made up of the band's collective refrains that ebb and flow like sea waves. In addition to Gordon, pianist