Val Gardena's The In Between Time is an eleven-track collection of collaborative and stylistically-diverse music that features a dazzling array of contemporary jazz artists performing mostly instrumental music composed and co-produced by Christopher James who founded Val Gardena with Jeff Leonard in 1993. An accomplished pianist himself, Christopher plays on one track, but composed and/or arranged the music either solo (one track) or with Andy Snitzer (5 tracks), Bob Stark (3 tracks), or Jeff Leonard or M. Harris (one track each). The super-group includes Andy Snitzer, Bob Stark, Taylor Eigsti, Greg Goebel, Alain Mallet, Julian "Waterfall" Pollack and Mike Ricciuti on piano and/or keyboards, as well as a host of artists on sax, guitars, bass, percussion, drums, flugelhorn and vocals. It's a very impressive project and is the first Val Gardena album since 2020's Across the Divide.

Quoting Christopher James: “By definition, all instrumental pieces are title-free when you write them, and the titles I eventually give them are a deep-seated reflection of what’s going on inside me. Ultimately, each title on the project has a meaning, but using The In Between Time for the album title best encapsulated the breadth of the music, which doesn’t fit into one specific pattern and is thematically nebulous by design. It’s like we’re living in a very in between time, feeling unsettled, excited and anxious all at once – and that sentiment pervades the music.”

The album begins with "Just Like Before," a compelling piece that features piano, keyboards, programming, guitars, sax and bass. The strong piano melody is tinged with melancholy while the rhythms and supporting instruments move it forward. "Return To Toulouse" is one of my favorites with its upbeat tempo and sense of adventure. John Nastos' sax really shines on this one! The title track is both dreamy and contemplative with various atmospheric keyboard sounds in addition to piano, guitar, bass and percussion. "Somewhere With You," a buoyant expression of fun and happiness, really soars with Andy Snitzer's sax, keyboards and programming. "Northern Lights" is a "re-imagining" of the classic piece that was on Val Gardena's 1995 album, On the Bridge. Smooth and easy with a compelling rhythm, it's a highlight on this album, too, and is currently at the #1 position on the New Age Notes Radio Chart for September 2024! "Another Dream In the Distance" has the feeling of a romantic slow dance with its bittersweet melody and gently-swaying rhythm - another favorite! "The Tunis Alternative" features Christopher James on piano and Jeff Leonard on bass with a relaxed and easy-going but captivating groove. The closing track is a new arrangement of Joni Mitchell's classic "Both Sides Now" with vocals by McKinley. The atmospheric sounds at the beginning of the piece update the song as well as giving it a bit of a make-over. The instrumental accompaniment is fairly minimal, allowing McKinley's expressive voice to tell its poignant story - a great ending to a great album!

The In Between Time was well worth the wait between Val Gardena albums, so be sure to check it out! It is available to stream or download from Amazon and Apple Music/iTunes as well as on many streaming platforms including Pandora and Spotify. Highly recommended!