Small Dream Ada

On Ninth and Lincoln’s last effort, Static Line, leader and composer Tyler Gilmore moved away from the standard big-band form and went in a different direction, one inspired by twentieth-century composers and minimalism. Now he’s lending his innovative composing and arranging skills to indie chamber group Small Dream Ada, which is highlighted by Alaina Ferris’s stunning vocals. The Apollo Chamber Brass Quintet and Ninth and Lincoln guitarist Matt Fuller and vibraphonist Greg Harris also contribute to Ada’s four-song EP, resulting in textural elements similar to those found on Static Line that work remarkably well with Ferris’s singing. At times ethereal and dreamy, Golden Propeller is a gorgeous collaboration.