San Francisco-based saxophonist/composer Michael Zilber sets to music eleven poems by the renowned American poet Billy Collins, hailed as "the most popular poet in America" by the New York Times. With vocalist Andy Kirshner invoking a spirit reminiscent of Mark Murphy or Kurt Elling, he conveys Collins' words with conviction and charisma, as he breathes life into tunes like "Man on the Moon," and "Not Touching" and trades phrases with Zilber on "The Blues." Never straying far from their modern-jazz roots, Zilber's band nonetheless draws on influences of pop, jazz, and the blues to fully bring the tunes to life. With pianist John R. Burr, bassist John Shifflett and Jason Lewis on drums. •"One of the best composers and players around anywhere, period!" - Dave Liebman