Black Notes from the Deep

On Black Notes from the Deep, saxophonist Courtney Pine—accomplished crossbreeder of jazz, DJ culture, and global music influences—strikes a balance between moody acoustic ballads (“Rivers of Blood,” “How Many More”) and soulful, groove-oriented vocal tracks (“Rules,” “In Another Time”). Anchored by his versatile core band (pianist Robert Mitchell, bassist Alec Dankworth, drummer Rod Youngs), Pine centers his bountifully melodic tenor-sax voice, doubling on flute to ethereal effect on “Darker Than the Blue” and “A Change Is Sure to Come.”