Drummer-bandleader Wally Schnalle has been an important force in advanced jazz of northern California since the mid-1990s. He graduated from San Jose State University, recorded early on with Francis Wong and performed with the Nova Vista and San Jose Symphonies. In 1994 Schnalle recorded his debut set as a leader (for the small Tree Fort label) and he soon formed a regularly working quintet although the drummer had been leading groups on and off since 1989. With "The Suit," Schnalle presents a CD that crosses the genre boundries of jazz, fusion and electronica. It combines virtuosity with 9 originals compositions that range from beautiful melodies to complex rhythms.