Tom Beckham

Tom Beckham is a fine vibes soloist (listen to "Visitation"), but his sophomore release as a group leader shows that he enjoys balancing that with songwriting and group dynamics. Beckham's approach is reminiscent of older band leaders like Paul Motian and Chico Hamilton (and also of some of Stefon Harris' sessions) but Beckham's work has a sound all its own -- which is what jazz is really about.