Night-glo

Criminally overlooked in her long, winding oeuvre, Carl Bley’s 1985 album Night-Glo is a gem buried in sand. It’s an odd one, as those high heels on the beach would suggest and Steve Swallow’s electric bass is deliciously oily. Bley’s sextet – augmented by five brass players, including Randy Brecker on trumpet – moves deftly between smooth, fusion, and mellow pop tropes without ever splashing piña colada slush on them. Like a couples’ island retreat, that smooth exterior belies other concerns, and the songs can scan as either pleasurable or miserable: “Pretend You’re in Love” and “Crazy With You.” Spacy highlight “Rut” might be sensuous or stagnant, depending on your mood. For your next relaxing White Lotus vacation.