DARIN LAYNE & JASON MCKENZIE, Left of Sunday Afternoon

Left of Sunday Afternoon

This delightful and highly inventive East-West fusion project centers on Darin Layne’s nylon- and steel-string acoustic guitar arrangements and Jason McKenzie’s tasteful tabla playing. Skillful use of odd time groupings such a 5 (“As She Goes”), 7 (“Hadji”), and 15 (“Shambhu”) keep things lively and interesting, while the addition of violin, cello, accordion, and voice here and there spice things up texturally and harmonically. A nice cover of Jimmy Page’s “Black Mountainside” closes out this collection of otherwise original compositions. This is the perfect “Sunday morning” disc. Heart Music. —Barry Cleveland