Xhosa Cole may be only 24, but he is steeped in jazz history. After winning any number of "young musician" awards, he's ready to step out as a full-fledged artist. On this album, he takes pieces from his heroes and finds his own place within them.

Xhosa Cole Quartet K(no)w Them, K(no)w Us (Stoney Lane)

That is, songs by Ornette Coleman, Thelonious Monk, Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw and more. Cole doesn't deconstruct those songs, but rather he inhabits them. His saxophone can be sweet and rich, bright and screechy or simply a monument of power. Depends on the need at the time. But he never loses track of the song--or himself.

His quartet takes plenty of room to roam as well. In particular, James Bashford not only holds everything together on drums, but he often finds flights that soar above everything else. These songs are all over the place jazz-wise, and the quartet is up to the task each time.

Now that Cole has established where he's from, I'd like to hear where he wants to go. Maybe we'll hear some of his own compositions next time around. For now, he simply lets his playing and arranging do the talking. He's made quite the case.

Jon Worley