Chinatown features one of the stalwarts of the scene, reedman Daniel Carter, in a trio with Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (bass, oud) and Kevin Zubek (percussion) recorded in Brooklyn in August 2003. The opening four minutes of "Hok Zhou" find Blumenkranz and Zubek providing a spacious, rolling clatter for Carter to stretch out on top of, until the texture thins out halfway through the track. Zubek's delicate wood blocks and tambourines prompt some daring arco work from Blumenkranz, and once more Carter, without having to spar with other horns, as is the case in Test and Other Dimensions In Music, is able to develop his ideas at length. His serpentine motivic explorations recall vintage Sam Rivers, but there's a refreshing fragility to the sound, especially on alto, that makes a welcome change from the testosterone of much NY free jazz. This is especially apparent on "Sun Dou", a duet for Carter and Blumenkranz's oud, in which the saxophonist is just as comfortable exploring the scalar nuances of Middle Eastern modality as he is blowing wild on "Teng Fei". The oud returns on "Sun Mei", which this time features Zubek's polyrhythmic bustle, while Carter sketches delicate flute arabesques. Only two of the album's eleven cuts go beyond the six-minute mark, and the short form - short not being synonymous with straightforward: the music is able to change tracks with surprising speed - suits the musicians well. Chinatown is one of the freshest and most creative outings of recent times, and you could do yourself a favour and check it out. (Dan Warburton, Paris Trans Atlantic)