West coast bassist Mark Dresser doesn't like to make things easy. Dresser is a longtime associate of sonic innovator Anthony Braxton, and his compositions are minutely detailed, replete with melodic convolutions and rhythmic complexities that, in the wrong hands, could end up sounding like exercises in musical gymnastics. But Dresser has a clear musical vision, and he knew exactly what he was doing when he put these compositions in front a group that includes Indo-American saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, "hyper-pianist" Denman Maroney, and drummers Tom Rainey and Michael Sarin, who alternate on Nourishments' seven tracks. Recalling Braxton's avant-garde ensemble work and Dave Holland's trail blazing quintets of the mid-1980s, Dresser's talented ensemble transcends the mechanics of the music, producing a sound that bristles with energy and vitality. mark-dresser.com