" data-original-title="" title="">Florian Ross is a German-born composer, arranger and jazz pianist who has a fondness for releasing albums with double names which began with his debut release Seasons & Places (Naxos Records, 1998). He has continued with that "id��e fixe" in almost every year in which he has delivered a release. This year is no exception; the latest incarnation is Tunes & Explorations, an octet session given over (with one exception) to the exploration of some well-known compositions from the Great American Songbook. The construct of the session was to keep the original intent of these compositions but to build vibrant, modern arrangements around the original melodies.

Although Ross does not play in this band, he has penned the arrangements and conducted this tight-sounding octet, which is made up of first-rate German-based musicians, several of whom have been involved with Ross in previous recordings. The opening track, and the only Ross original of this session, is "Baking Magels." It is a funky, hard-swinging chart which cooks right along, giving Belgian guitarist