The Endangered Quartet (Roy Nathanson, saxophones; Curtis Fowlkes, trombone/vocals; Jesse Mills, violin/vocals; Tim Kiah, bass/vocals) is composing and improvising collective of four musicians with wide ranging and extensive careers outside this ensemble. Coming together through a shared affinity for "honest and soulful expression," their eclecticism is on display on this debut album through renditions of music by Bach, the Beatles, and Ornette Coleman alongside compositions by members of the group. "Heart" is a fresh and unique chamber amalgam of vocabulary from the jazz, classical, folk, and Americana traditions, melded together in a debut release that captures the genuine warmth between these seasoned musicians.
