***1/2 Steve Turre

LOTUS FLOWER

(Verve)

Trombonist Steve Turre draws on a wide range of jazz traditions here, from the Ellingtonian "The Fragrance of Love" to the Afro-Caribbean-flavored title track to Rahsaan Roland Kirk's unsentimental ballad "The Inflated Tear." And his unorthodox sextet enlivens everything they touch. The unusual instrumentation of the group, which includes violinist Regina Carter and cellist Akua Dixon, gives all the material a fresh and original sound. And the crackling rhythm section, featuring pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Lewis Nash, drive everything with a clear, clean, and graceful swing.

Turre himself has a big hearty tone that neatly blends sweetness, brawn, polish, and grit in one of the most distinctive sounds in mainstream jazz. As a soloist, he laces singing phrases with gruff blues, pyrotechnic runs, sly quotes, and funky riffs. Carter also straddles the refined and the down-home in her frequent violin solos, and Miller turns in a strong performance throughout, whether he's comping behind soloists, embellishing Turre's arrangements, or soloing himself. But it's Turre who unifies all these disparate elements into a vital take on mainstream jazz that's both rooted in tradition and progressive in outlook.

-- Ed Hazell