*** Ron Miles

WOMAN'S DAY

(Gramavision)

Trumpeter Ron Miles's second Gramavision release is a quiet one, but no less intense than his label debut, last year's My Cruel Heart. Joined by regular bandmates bassist Artie Moore and drummer Rudy Royston, plus guitarist Bill Frisell (in whose quartet Miles also works), the Denver-based trumpeter folds spare lyricism and rhythmic sophistication into a category-defying blend of rock, funk, and jazz. He's a master craftsman who wields all his tools -- compositional and improvisational -- with equal skill.

As a composer he often pairs opposites to create tension and drama. On "You Taste . . . ," a slow, simple melody played by trumpet and guitar collides against thrashing bass and drums. And though some of his writing is disarmingly direct, "Born Liar" is all insinuation and shadow, with melodies and rhythms revealing themselves briefly, then slipping away into darkness. As a soloist, Miles can say a lot with a little. Limiting himself to just a few well-chosen notes from the middle of his range on "Belly," he uses rhythmic displacement, thematic development, and varied timbres to build a poised and beautifully proportioned solo.

-- Ed Hazell