The name of Greg Bush will probably be new to most readers. Born in Montreal, Greg began his trumpet studies as a teenager and later moved to Calgary, Alberta playing freelance jazz in all manner of venues including big bands accompanying major stars including Paul Horn, Lee Konitz, Dizzy Gillespie and Bob Brookmeyer among others. As he became better known, he enjoyed a high degree of popularity on the local scene appearing with his quintet and big band at jazz spots and the Calgary and Edmonton Jazz Fests.

Returning to Montreal in 1991 to further his studies, Bush received McGill University's first Master of Jazz Performance degree. He is now in his fifth year on the faculty of McMaster University teaching orchestration, trumpet and music history. He performs regularly in nearby Toronto as a sideman and with his own quintet.

This album, "Cause and Effect" is the CD debut of The Greg Bush Quintet performing nine original compositions. I won't include a tune list here as you can visit the website for more information.

I will tell you that this is a very exciting group and that the various members enjoy similar qualifications to their leader. The quintet is a tightly knit and intense unit. Having heard the recording, I can imagine that a live performance would be even more captivating. The dreamlike "For Lauren, Not Forlorn" exudes a beauty seldom heard from contemporary outfits in their formative years. Other tracks bring more surprises and superb solo work by the individual player. The ensemble passages featuring Bush and Wiffen generate the sound of a much larger group. Dave Wiffen takes some wonderful solos and appears at his best on "Blues for Clarence Diggs", an up-tempo blues. You'll find a few short audio clips online at the quintet's web site. Give it a listen and be very, very impressed.