Ben Allison: Little Things Run the World

We may never get around to talking about Ben Allison's bass playing . . . since it's easy to get caught up in his skills as a jazz composer and bandleader. "Little Things Run the World" is another winning chart by this impressive musician. The track starts with a relaxed, ambling groove, propelled by Sarin's clever start-and- stop beat. But before things get too comfy, Blake pushes into overdrive with an edgy sax solo. It's not easy to build this degree of intensity from a medium tempo piece -- especially one with so much open space in the arrangement. But Allison and crew show that it's not tempo but state of mind that creates the energy level. Great song, hot band . . . and, yes, don't forget those basslines!