Rosenwinkel is a jazz guitarist. That said, this CD proves he’s willing to go anywhere for his musical muse. There’s not much of a chance to pigeonhole him. From killer bop on the title cut and “Cubism,” to an amazingly groove-oriented ballad (“Number Ten”), to some very outside stuff (“Point of View”), he shows himself to be an incredibly good player and a wonderful writer. He’s not afraid to scat a little, like on the aforementioned “Number Ten,” but it’s not a chronically cliched sound some players use. He’s not afraid to distort things a little, like on the wonderful “Grant,” and then turn the song into a hard-swinging bop tune with great interaction between him and other band members, especially Mark Turner on tenor sax. He’s also not afraid to record the very odd “The Polish Song,” which I will not try to describe. Suffice it to say, you have to hear it, and then you’ll appreciate it.

It’s not hard to see why there are glowing liner notes on this CD from the likes of Pat Metheny and John Scofield. Rosenwinkel is rapidly becoming the type of player who should be mentioned in the same breath with these folks. Highly recommended to fans of jazz guitar.