From drummer, producer, and composer Tom Skinner comes Voices of Bishara, a mini-album that rivals any full-length release of the year in musicality and skill. We’re given stunning instrumentals punctuated with chaotic moments, juxtapositions that easily keep listeners entertained the entire half-hour.

On Voices, each new song is an entirely different sound, but the main instruments – drums, cello, bass, saxophone – keep the album cohesive. And although the album is under Skinner’s name, he proves himself to be a true collaborative artist by allowing the other instruments their time to shine, like in “The Day After Tomorrow.”

Skinner noted that the project was produced over a long period of time, with him leaving it and returning multiple times, and it’s evident in the sound. Still, it’s not random or lost. It may be whirling and rapid, bordering overwhelming but never crossing it. It instead paints a clear picture of what it’s like to have true musicians collaborating in real time – a rarity today, even for jazz.

The latter half of “Voices (of the Past)” is arguably the most true-to-form jazz track, giving us piano riffs layered with an entire kit of percussion and satisfying bass, but it’s interrupted by a progressive jazz sound – perhaps a message from Skinner about his personal interpretation of the genre.

The record is well-produced, expertly played, and clearly a project thought up by a true artist, one who’s got multiple influences and even more talents. We end Voices of Bishara how we started – with a dizzying track that’ll have purists and new-age fans alike praising Skinner and his ensemble for their musicality. Undoubtedly worth a listen.