Reed Mathis Electric Beethoven

Dubbed in most arenas as “CDM” -- “classical dance music” -- Reed Mathis’ new band has certainly become a force on tour. The longtime Tea Leaf Green bassist (who left the band this year) assembled a gathering of musicians that arcs across the studio and the stage, a congregation that has made jaws drop across the country this year (Mike Gordon, Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, Brad Barr and on and on). The project is assembled, originally, around Beethoven’s Third and Sixth symphonies as platforms for improvisation, Mathis has said. The whole point is the improv trip — in the Beethoven vein — a blend of the classical and the heady. Ain’t nothing wrong with that. (Sandy)