Tone Hunting, Anna Kaluza, Artur Majewski, Rafal Mazur, Kuba Suchar

Not everything in music today can be readily and facilely stuffed into various pre-classified cubicles. That is part of what makes new music "new", of course. It keeps me alert and on my toes, too.

So it goes with today's album, Tone Hunting (Clean Feed 285), a cooperative quartet from Poland that features Anna Kaluza on alto sax, Artur Majewski on trumpet and cornet, Rafal Mazur on acoustic bass guitar and Kuba Suchar on drums and percussion.

There are five improvisations in the free-avant jazz zone to be heard on this one. The longish "Track 1" sets the stage with a pointilistic interplay of phrases that evolves and develops over a free-rhythm background. All give notice that they are entering territory they have scouted out themselves.

The album continues and you start to realize that (connected in some way with the New York Eye and Ear Control classic from the New Thing era) this is especially strong in its collective horn interplay. But not exclusively so in that there are solo spots as well, though to a lesser degree than in a typical free sessions these days.

The textural and temporal ins-and-outs make this ensemble strong. Kaluza and Majewski bond in very interesting ways and the rhythm team provides a strongly assertive, effective underpinning and at the same time can make movements of their own towards the varied yet not obviously explicit goals.

A strong outing. Hear it if you can.