Trumpeter Dave Douglas, saxophonist Andy Laster, violinist Mark Feldman, bassist Kermit Driscoll, and drummer Tom Rainey all became ensconced in the so-called New York downtown scene during the early '90s, and they truly collaborated on Souvenir, the debut disc by the New and Used quintet, with everyone contributing compositions to the effort. The CD is, in fact, a fine keepsake of the era's downtown sound at its most broadly appealing. This is more tightly constructed than much of the music generally equated with the post-Coltrane avant-garde, and has relatively few touchstones in the previous New York loft scene; no Coleman-esque harmolodicism, or even links to the earlier work of another true collaborative, the Art Ensemble of Chicago. And certainly not Marsalis-styled post-bop. Instead, New and Used practiced an almost third stream-flavored knotty blend of composition and improvisation that jumped all over the stylistic map, rigorously arranged but with an organic sense of flow, and with Feldman's violin introducing a chamberesque element. Things get off to a jumping start, with Douglas' invigorating "Slow Boat to Mechanicsville" (anything but slow through much of its duration, really). Also arranged a bit later by Douglas for the large ensemble Orange Then Blue, this remains one of the trumpeter's most memorable compositions, even after everything he accomplished over the intervening years.

1		Slow Boat to Mechanicsville
2		Red Letter
3		Cows
4		Souvenir
5		Lazy Brushes
6		Safe at Home
7		Trifecta
8		Paradox
9		Hagia Sophia
10		Kerney