Proverb Trio Dafnison Music****

Dafnis Prieto could have contented himself with being among the most technically gifted and musically innovative of the current crop of New York drummers, and the calls from leaders such as Eddie Palmieri and Steve Coleman would have kept coming in. To his credit, however, the 38-year-old Cuban is more interested in developing his own sound, composing his own music and building creative partnerships.

Prieto's collaborations with Washington DC vocalist Kokayi, which began before he left Havana in the late 1990s, have led to an approach to performing that allows them to launch into almost entirely improvised "songs" that sound written and rehearsed. Prieto's infectious, endlessly inventive grooves provoke rap, poetry, singing and beat-boxing from the ebullient Kokayi. Add the subtle harmonies and spaced- out sounds of keyboardist Jason Lindner, and you have an unusual, very likeable record that crosses all sorts of boundaries. dafnisonmusic.com