Leslie Pintchik's music has a magical draw to it. Perhaps it has to do with her pearly and softly pronounced piano work, at once circuitous and direct in the way it shapes and navigates expressive pathways. Or maybe it has to do with her compositional acumen. Her pieces, after all, have a way of registering and resonating both with the pleasure center of the brain and the heart. Those are the most admirable qualities connected to Pintchik's art, and they come through in crystal clear fashion on this extraordinary date.

True North is a true rarity, as tenderhearted themes, chic rhythmic foundations, undulating forms, and catchy strains are successfully woven into a seamless whole. Pintchik hits a homerun on the first pitch, delivering six minutes of pure joy and positive energy in the form of "Let's Get Lucky." Everything clicks—the grooves, Pintchik's solo, the escalating conversation between trumpeter