Up there with the best of 2022 to date In Common III is a textbook example of the way ahead for hard bop and beyond-based approaches anchored by the incredibly loose rhythm section of Terri Lyne Carrington, Dave Holland and Kris Davis. Guitar and sax-led the direction of the music manages to harness more oblique passages say on 'Oliver' with less complex melodic sections that allow space for some fine thematic composition and the ingenuity of the improvisers at work here. It's not all deadly serious by any means and you get a fun theme like 'Hornets' as part of the recipe of success. Kris Davis sounds amazing at the beginning of 'After' and her contribution throughout is a big plus. Smith's balladic sense is strong on a track such as 'Lite' and it's extraordinary the pictures painted by the electronic contortions on the same track that lifts the album effortlessly into a futuristic space. A must for any self-respecting jazz fan, speaking of now!