Guitarist Mike Moreno at the Jazz Gallery, New York, NY, July 17th, 2003. Personnel: Mike Moreno (gt), Rodney Green (dr), Aaron Goldberg (p), Derek Nievergelt (b), Kris Bauman (ts). Mike Moreno is becoming a hot item on the New York jazz scene. His agile guitar playing has attracted the attention of major artists such as Jeff 'Tain' Watts, Greg Osby, and Kenny Garrett. In fact, by the end of last year the buzz on Mike had grown so strong that he received those once in a lifetime calls from Watts and Garrett on the same day. But Watts got to him first, snatching up one of the dates Garrett had set aside for rehearsals. He recalls "even that was hard to turn down, but it was still cool getting both calls on the same day". In the end everything worked out. Watts flew him to Boston; Garrett booked him for the saxophonist's annual New Year's gig at Sweet Rhythm. Besides a busy gig schedule, Mike can be heard on several albums from up and coming players like trumpet sensation Jeremy Pelt, R&B vocalist Bilal, organist Jesse Chandler and fellow Houstonian, pianist Robert Glasper. Jazz Gallery Show Thursday's performance at the Jazz Gallery demonstrated that Moreno is at once a masterful composer, with a sense of sophistication that belies his age, and an extraordinary improviser. Perhaps these two qualities are related, though it is rare to see an artist excel at both. Despite the band's limited rehearsal time, the intricate and mesmerizing compositions were masterfully executed. Indeed, Mike and his seasoned band mates transcended the music's challenges allowing the audience to savor the fluid characteristics of his writing. The tune "Between The Lines", for example, would be a standout track on any album, as would his grooving "Road Song" (not to be confused with the Wes Montgomery standard). At the same time, the level of playing was extraordinary. As Mike took command of the first solo, he set the standard for the evening. Devouring one chorus after another, his solos were both exciting and maturely crafted, not merely vehicles for bravado or technique. Moreno’s phrasing is impeccable, his time flawless and his ideas utterly endless. These qualities were particularly apparent as he electrified the musician-heavy audience on Joe Henderson's classic "Isotope". The rest of the band proved just as sensational. Pianist Aaron Goldberg, who has worked in both Joshua Redman's quartet (his classmate from Harvard) and drummer Al Foster's trio, scorched the room's Baldwin grand. Using a rich rhythmic palette to construct exciting solos, his interplay with drummer Rodney Green was so delightful, that had the rest of the band dropped out the music wouldn’t have suffered a bit. Goldberg has several albums out as a leader, in addition to his sideman credits with Redman, Foster and Mark Turner. Drummer Rodney Green has the most extensive resume of anyone in Mike's band, having toured and recorded with Diana Krall, Eric Reed, Wynton Marsalis, Charlie Haden, Christrian McBride, Herbie Hancock, Greg Osby and many, many others. One only needs to hear him to understand why. Bassist Derek Nievergelt from Terence Blanchard's band was understated but grooving. Saxophonist Kris Bauman whose beautiful tone is reminiscent of Mark Turner, synced perfectly with Moreno on the complex melodies before launching into his own expansive solos. Mike will be appearing later this month at the Jazz Gallery with John Ellis, Charlie Hunter's saxophonist and a Monk Competition finalist. He'll also be appearing this month at Sweet Rhythm (formerly Sweet Basil) with trumpeter and Mingus Big Band member Jeremey Pelt. Keep your eyes open for all of these guys. They're no doubt going to be a big part of jazz's next chapter.