*** Salim Washington &

RBA, LOVE IN EXILE

(Accurate)

RBA is an acronym for "Roxbury Blues Aesthetic," a fitting name for a jazz band with a long history of performing in that neighborhood. Leader Salim Washington, a multitalented saxophonist, flutist, and composer, looks beyond Roxbury and the blues to John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, and that strain of lyrical Afro-romanticism called to mind by albums like Africa Brass and Thembi. Guest pianist Joe Bonner is on hand with lots of rhapsodic solos; guest trombonist Frank Lacy (who also steps out on trumpet) lends some hard-edged riffing.

But Washington's original compositions stand on their own with their attractive melodic hooks and his sax solos, which reflect an advanced harmonic thinking. Violist Melanie Dyer is a real discovery -- her quicksilver flash adds an appealing element to an ensemble dominated by the dark and dense interplay of five horns. And drummer Bobby Ward, whose splashy polyrhythms create an unstoppable momentum, brings everything together on this cohesive and imaginative outing.

-- Norman Weinstein