Ravi Coltrane

Imagine that you are the son of legendary saxophonist John Coltrane. Now picture the size sack it would take to not only play the same instrument as your father, but to do so in a four-piece combo similar to the one he led for years. On In Flux, Ravi Coltrane's latest effort, his own voice is clearly starting to emerge. Tracks like "For Zoe" and "Leaving Avignon" are strong examples of his burgeoning brilliance: His Intricate sax lines wrap his bandmates -- pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Drew Gress and drummer EJ Strickland -- in a tone-rich blanket woven from the tapestry of every jazz icon. His intonation, phrasing and articulation on "Angular Realms" are light-years ahead of his earlier work; 1998's Moving Pictures exhibited a distinct attempt to sound like Papa. All in all, Flux establishes Coltrane as a force in the jazz world and reveals a man in the midst of making his own mark as a capable leader, primed in composing incredibly well-thought-out, heartfelt arrangements.