The Circle Of Time

Pianist Amina Claudine Myers’ fourth album as a leader is a trio date with bassist Don Pate and percussionist Thurman Barker. It features six of her own pieces, ranging from the aggressive hard bop opener, “Louisville,” to the pounding gospel funk (with Pate on electric bass and Myers overdubbing stabs of organ) of “Do You Wanna Be Saved?” to the multipart “The Clock,” which includes free jazz sections and showcases for both Pate and Barker while keeping one foot in the stride and blues that are her conceptual anchors. Her voice is deceptively gentle, almost girlish at times, but the way she bends and coils the notes around her piano melodies, with Pate and Barker always following her wherever she might lead, displays the confidence of a master musician.