For his eighth recording on Origin, vibist Tom Collier assembled a set of five improvised compositions with pianist Richard Karpen to be recorded in a trio setting. Added to the duo for each piece are several of the more empathetic and forward-looking creative musicians of the past 50 years, all who happen to be colleagues of theirs at the University of Washington, where Collier recently retired after a thirty-year career. William O. "Bill" Smith and Stuart Dempster both nurtured his thirst for improvised music in the late '60s through their contemporary music program at the UW. More recently, trumpeter Cuong Vu, guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Ted Poor have all made dynamic contributions to the program. Here they each contribute to an album that, while abstract and complex, is also full of beauty and emotion. •"Collier...is so well-equipped academically that his sleight-of-hand solos already are a fascinating study." - Los Angeles Times