Music Is Emotion, Alternate Side Records ***

Trombone players end up doing lots of session work because, well, there just aren't that many guys who can really play that uncompromising instrument. New York "boner" Ryan Keberle has plyed his horn everywhere from Maria Schneider's Big Band to Beyoncé's even bigger band. But like most self-respecting horn players, when left to his own devices Keberle heads to the deep end of the improvisational pool, and his third album as leader is a hard-grooving quartet session featuring trumpeter Mike Rodriguez, bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Eric Doob. There are echoes of Dave Holland's chordless ensembles of the 1980s and '90s, and some of the adventure of Dave Douglas's small groups, but Keberle is beginning to condense his own eclectic experiences into a personal sound. ryankeberle.com