The title of this release by clarinetist Tasha Warren and cellist Dave Eggar comes from a line of poetry by Emily Dickinson and refers in a general way to the pandemic-era isolation also stressed in the album graphics. One can hear that theme at various places, including right up front in the opening African Tales of Paquito D'Rivera, but probably more important are the collection's genre- and geography-crossing ways, which are elegant and effortless. Incorporating the efforts of a few guest artists but not relying on arrangements, the two musicians travel from Asian sounds (in Meg Okura's Phantasmagoria) to the Caribbean and Africa, to French jazz (in Pascal Le Boeuf's Snapshots, with the pair joined by Le Boeuf himself on piano). A standout is the African American/Native American/Appalachian vocalist Martha Redbone's Black Mountain Calling, which also has a mournful opening passage and then goes on to add parts for textless voice and percussion. It is quite a haunting piece, and it seems to tie the whole program together. Another unifying factor comes from the engineering staff of the Bright Shiny Things label, which masters performances from multiple performances into a coherent whole. This is a persuasive contemporary release. D'Rivera's African Tales and Le Boeuf's Snapshots both received Grammy nominations for Best Instrumental Performance in 2022. ~ James Manheim, Rovi

1		African Tales
2		Crow Cavern
3		Black Mountain Calling
4		Lalin
5		Phantasmagoria
6		Snapshots