I first came across Parzen-Johnson a couple of years ago, and I was dumbfounded by his ability to take a baritone sax and create some of the most amazing sounds I've ever heard. His willingness to experiment within a somewhat traditional jazz setting was astonishing.

Jonah Parzen-Johnson Imagine Giving Up (We Jazz Records)

Well, he's given up the traditional for this album. Instead, he uses his spectacular circular breathing to create bagpipe-like bari sax drones with electronic overlays. Does that sound normal to you? If so, you should already have this sucker cued up on repeat.

For those of you who expect a bit more structure in your music, perhaps this is not the project for you. Parzen-Johnson's compositions on this album contain some lovely melodies (and some of the most beautiful bari sax playing I've ever heard--and as I love this instrument, that's saying something). And there is always a line or two connecting any given moment to a more temporal reality. But even if a particular track starts out in a fairly accessible manner (say, "Everything Is Everything Else"), after a couple of minutes the music has ascended to some rarified experimental air. Yes, it is spectacular. But it is hardly "regular" jazz.

Indeed, I'm not sure if this album is jazz, strictly speaking. Even using the expansive definition propagated by the likes of Branford Marsalis, I struggle to connect this to the greater jazz world. Experimental electronic music? Sure, though the omnipresent and never-ceasing bari sax gives a completely different feel. Ambient? At times, I guess.

Or maybe just give up on the labels. Jonah Parzen-Johnson proved long ago that he's not bound to anyone's musical lexicography. He's still a pup, and he's pushing as many boundaries as anyone I've heard in some time. That he does so and still creates music that grabs the ears and engages the mind is amazing. Not what I expected, but then again, that's exactly what I expected.

Jon Worley