Diego Piñera has some good friends. He likes to change up his ensembles for different projects. This is his first with the Octet, and it's an extended riff on central European dances. Is this jazz? Modern composition? Yes. I suppose it technically falls into jazz (where Piñera generally plys his trade), but there is enough theme and variation going on here to go the other way as well. And those strings!

Diego Piñera 4+4 Romanian Dance (self-released)

So, yes, these are lush deconstructions of folk dances (and a few other things), all circling Piñera's percussion. He's flexible enough to give each piece the support it needs, and his Octet simply smokes. Whether luxuriating on a single line or flying through a series of whorls and tumbles, all eight are right where they need to be to keep the song in motion.

Don't expect any sort of "standard" anything. The sound can be lush and gorgeous or furiously atonal. Everything serves the piece in question, and while they all have similar origins, they take many different paths to completion. I believe the 4+4 part of the name is that there are four folks schooled in jazz (and rock) and four more comfortable with a classical style. By the end, however, it's clear everyone is speaking the same language.

In many ways, this has a post-rock feel. Plenty of bands would sound right at home with Piñera's compositions. The best way to appreciate this is to let it fully unfold. There's a lot to take in, but ingesting these works is an utter pleasure. Let your mind dance.

Jon Worley