Trumpeter David Weiss began working in New York in the mid-'80s, playing with Jaki Byard, Frank Foster, and Jimmy Heath, studying with fellow trumpeters Tommy Turrentine and Bill Hardman, and leading jam sessions nicknamed "After Hours" at the Blue Note club. By 1990, he had formed a band that, over the subsequent five years, included contributions from tenor Craig Handy, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Jeff Watts. In 1996, he formed the New Jazz Composers Octet from a variety of young New York players and composers, and the group debuted on record with 1999's First Steps into Reality. (The group also appeared on Freddie Hubbard's 2001 LP New Colors.) Their proper follow-up was 2003's Walkin' the Line. Weiss has also led a sextet (including twin brothers Marcus and E.J. Strickland), and released his first album as a leader, Breathing Room, in 2002. The Mirror followed in 2004. ~ John Bush & Bradley Torreano