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Chicago's Vandermark 5 are an avant-garde jazz ensemble with a modern perspective on life. An ambitious saxophonist-composer who dedicates each of his songs to someone who has made an impact in his life (like Cecil Taylor and Jackie Chan), Vandermark does quite well on his second outing as a leader. Vandermark is also a member of Chicago's NRG Ensemble and has hijacked NRG bandmates Mars Williams (saxophone) and Kent Kessler (bass) for this endeavor as well as using trombonist-guitarist Jeb Bishop and drummer Tim Mulvena. Visceral, expansive, and uniquely imaginative, Vandermark's compositions are carefully structured without sacrificing the freedom of experimental jazz. Vandermark's burly saxophone tone is offset by the frantic antics of the Coltrane-inspired Mars Williams and Jeb Bishop's excursions on trombone and guitar.--Mitch Myers