The critical acclaim heaped on Mark Shim's debut disc two years ago wasn't misplaced, as it turns out. The tenor saxophonist, near the front rank of the young lions of his generation, makes his sophomore album another showcase for the Jamaican-born musician's resonant sound, imaginative solo work and multi-hued arrangements.

The title track, with its syncopated rhythms, gear-shifting chord progressions and inquisitive melody line, sets the pace, hinting at Shim's interest in varying from the guitar-meets-acoustic-quartet approach of 1998's "Mind Over Matter": Edward Simon's thoughtful work on Fender Rhodes adds considerable warmth to the proceedings, and the pianist applies similar colors to the leapfrogging "Don't Wake the Violent Baby" and the pretty, pensive ballad "Eminence (For Betty Carter). Shim switches to soprano for the latter track, penned by drummer Eric Harland and written in honor of the late jazz diva, a former employer of and major influence on the careers of Harland and Shim.

Joe Henderson's classic "Recorda Me," one of only two tunes not penned by the leader, benefits from an urgent attack and the valuable contributions of Stefon Harris. The jazz world's vibraphonist du jour, Shim's bandmate on the New Directions tour and recently released album, switches to marimba for the relaxed grooving of "Survival Tactics" and the free-leaning "Dirty Bird."

Shim, a veteran of work with Terence Blanchard, the Mingus Big Band and Hamiett Bluiett, may be even more impressive as a ballad specialist, as evidenced by the burnished tone and sophisticated phrasing he demonstrates on "Christel Gazing." It's an impressive view.
- PHILIP BOOTH