The Crooked Line

       Bloomfield-resident trumpeter, flugelhornist and composer Nathan Eklund's debut CD offers a fine program of originals and interesting covers. The company's good, too: alto and tenor saxophonist Craig Yaremko, pianist Joe Elefante, bassist Brian Killeen and drummer Josh Dion. Eklund cites Thad Jones and Kenny Wheeler as inspirations. Tom Harrell must be in there as well, judging from the Harrell-like embracing modernity of songs such as the pretty, fast waltz "Emancipated Thinking," with the leader's alluring flugelhorn work. "Scatterbrained" moves between a zip's along pace and one more modest, all buoyed by crisp drumming and interesting bass lines. Eklund on trumpet finds the core notes, and ones a bit further afield. "All the Things You Are" is refigured, alternating bars of three quarters and four quarters. Altoist Yaremko makes it sing, Elefante, too. The title track is a contemporary groover.

--Zan Stewart, Newark Star-Ledger; March 11, 2007