Into the Open Alison****

Denver-based composer/tenor Fred Hess has made several small-group CDs as well as Hold On, a boundary-nudging big band release that was nevertheless rooted in the tradition. A second big band venture further tests those boundaries with writing characterised by a superabundance of ideas. Typical is Sooz Blooz, a witty juggle with the form, ensembles packed with a constant flow of invention and episodes venturing outside the frame. But the album's choice piece is Ninth House, a 15-minutes-plus tribute to John Coltrane. Deftly using All Bluesand the scalar Miles Modeas thematic staging posts, it blends them inventively with fresh, original lines, beautifully integrated free episodes and excellent solos. The band, of whom only Ron Miles (trumpet) and Matt Wilson (drums) are well known, handle Hess's demanding charts with aplomb. see fhmusic@indra.com