Nathan Eklund Group: Coin Flip

Nathan Eklund obviously knows his jazz. His compositions are sometimes long and mostly snazzy. They’re fluttery trumpet runs, like Miles’ “Straight, No Chaser” for the Starbucks crowd, and the arrangements and musicianship are strong on Coin Flip. The titular song is a slow, cheerful elevator ride with interesting drumming by Shawn Baltazor. Elsewhere on the album, Eklund’s writing is Rhodes-heavy with a downtown lilt. “Front Lawn” is an eleven minute percussive work that would translate fantastically to a live setting. Coin Flip paints a good scene; it’s good jazz born of a good composer, and as such, it should be well-received.