Andrew Hill's excellence and innovative genius, both as a composer and pianist are majestically displayed on this new Blue Note release, due out in February. This deeply textured exploration is further enhanced by the accompanying musicians in this quintet. For example, track 5, "Kin'ler" maintains a dramatically moody and pensive tone throughout while Hill lays down the storyline, but just the right balance among the other musicians is superbly achieved and defines the essence of the piece.

On trumpet, Charles Tolliver is dynamic and fluid and his explosive style gets right in your face and squeezes your cheeks rosey in tracks "Ry Round 1," "For Emilio," and "Smooth."

As dynamic as Tolliver is on trumpet, Greg Tardy is versatile on the horns. Whether he's blowing on the sax or clarinet, he is masterful at accenting and enhancing the various moods that are set as well as spilling over with the dazzling brilliance of his own captivating lyricism. His work on "Smooth," is chilling and gripping.

The title track, "Time Lines" opens with John Hebert's hearty bassline - the pulse that sustains each solo and saturates this track with primal, nurturing, life-force energy.

The uninhibited drumming of Eric McPherson is pretty much the icing on this musical torte. He is able to hold and carry each atmosphere exquisitely, whether the arrangement be pensive, tense, cacophanic or all of the above in the same track.

An excellent one to look out for! These musicians are cohesive as a group as well as individualistically outstanding.