The Ash & Friends Quartet is an ensemble comprised up of friends – musical collaborators whose a current inclination is to explore a variety of jazz sub-genres from latin, be-bop and cool jazz to latin grooves and calypso. In some respects, the vibe is reminiscent of the uncluttered ‘sound of the trio’ – but with the addition of a clarinet – an instrument mellow enough to assert an additional voice in place of the dominant sax of traditional quartets. That said, the influence of Benny Golson and Joe Henderson cannot be denied in the quartet’s treatment of original recordings from the Jazztet, Horace Silver etc., while the vocal numbers introduce yet another interesting tonality with some time honoured classics.