Belgrade-born Rale Micic put together a simple guitar-organ-drums trio for this set. A bit more traditional jazz than some of his earlier works, he still works in the occasional Balkan riff when the time is right.

Rale Micic Only Love Will Stay (Whaling City Sound)

Micic's tone is very similar to Jared Gold's Hammond B3 at times, and the interplay of the two heads to a higher level when they become nearly indistinguishable. The lines are clear, but who is who is not. This is a fusion of a different kind, and I came to crave those moments.

The mood of the album is at times playful, at times meditative. Micic doesn't hurry his guitar, and that allows his idea to form naturally. The result is pleasing to the ears and the mind. While this album has a "soft" sound, it is hardly facile.

Music that works in the background, but eventually it will tickle your mind into more active listening. The journeys here are both external and internal, and Micic's trio (albeit with a different drummer for each of the recording sessions) has a cohesive feel for the music. Ringingly wonderful.

Jon Worley