Personnel: Dave Douglas (trumpet); Donny McCaslin (tenor saxophone); Uri Caine (Fender Rhodes piano); James Genus (bass instrument); Clarence Penn (drums).

Recording information: Bear Tracks Studio, Suffern, New York (2006).

Dave Douglas was one of the most consistently innovative jazz musicians on the scene in the early 2000s, and 2006's MEANING & MYSTERY finds Douglas's quintet regrouping for the first time since 2002's Miles Davis-inspired THE INFINITE. The ghost of Miles hovers over this outing as well (especially Miles's work with his groundbreaking '60s quintet), but Douglas's vision as a composer and player is always evolving, and his mixture of post-bop, fusion, and the avant-garde comes across as fresh, vital, and edgy. Uri Caine's Fender Rhodes bathes everything in a cool hue, but bassist James Genus, drummer Clarence Penn, and saxophonist Donny McCaslin (replacing Chris Potter) keep the heat high. Add to this Douglas's dazzling chops, sharp writing, and nuanced arrangements and Douglas fans are treated to another glowing gem of a jazz album.