" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Faddis gives his stamp of approval to another trumpeter and climbs aboard to co-produce his debut, it's probably a safe bet that he has something special going on. Such is the case with John Raymond, who delivers the goods again and again during this original-heavy program.

Raymond, a native of Minnesota who relocated to New York after spending his college years at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, distinguishes himself from the get-go here on Strength & Song. The first thing that's immediately striking is his tone quality. While today's trends tend to favor in-studio manufacturing of a trumpeter's tone— either leaning toward a warm-and-wet quality or an artificially bright sound—Raymond's trumpet voice is au natural. This real-as-can-be quality immediately separates him from the pack, but it is what he does with this voice that helps him hold interest across the entire album. His focused energy and confidence steer this ship, whether traversing rough seas or smooth waters. Plenty of both can be found on this album.

His band mates prove to be well matched, each bringing something different to the table. Guitarist