Second Nature [CD]

Second Nature is the debut as a leader from guitarist Elijah Cole, a Washington, D.C. native shaped by the Philadelphia scene, who came to SteepleChase after playing on Tony Miceli's session for the label. He chose a classic organ trio — bluesy, swinging and high-energy in the Philly tradition — with organist Pat Bianchi and drummer Byron Landham, two players central to his development.

Cole wrote seven originals for the date, from the roaring shuffle "For B" and the Wayne Shorter nod "The Farthest Shore" to the jagged bebop of "Philly" and the burnished "Unknown Traveler", closing with a New Orleans-flavored take on Shorter's "Armageddon".