Some musical genres specialize in conveying one or two emotions. Punk is great when you're pissed, but when it gets tender, it sounds silly; the further hip-hop gets from rage, indignation or braggadocio, the more it sounds like Aaron Carter. On the other hand, jazz is a music that can cover the entire spectrum of emotions. I hear sadness in Bill Evans' "Peace Piece," anger in John Coltrane's "Om," and happiness in Thelonious Monk's "Monk's Time." Another sort of expression jazz handles perfectly is joy, and that feeling is in full effect on the Alex Blake Quintet's Now is the Time.

Blake is a bassist who had his professional start playing for Sun Ra while still a teenager. He's since worked with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard and McCoy Tyner. This, though, is his first album as a leader, which could explain why he and his band sound like their collective cups runneth over. The mood throughout this live recording, captured at New York's Knitting Factory, is energetic, upbeat and cheerful. And it's contagious.

First, a few words about the band. Pharoah Sanders is on tenor sax, sounding more traditional than I've ever heard him. This is miles from his abrasive late-'60s work with John Coltrane and his meditative, Eastern-influenced soloing on Alice Coltrane's Ptah the El Daoud and Journey in Satchidananda. For the majority of Now is the Time, Sanders plays with taste and restraint in a style reminiscent of the late '50s and early '60s. Only occasionally does he feel compelled to engage in some dissonant blowing, and the timing of his blasts always coincides nicely with the band reaching an elevated pitch.

John Hicks on piano sounds all the world to me like McCoy Tyner. Like Coltrane's former pianist, he favors a gentle touch and a constantly flowing stream of notes. Both drummer Victor Jones and percussionist Neil Clark take a few too many solos for my taste, but they offer good support, and Clark in particular adds a soulful texture to the overall sound.

Which brings us to bandleader Alex Blake. I'm not sure if I've listened more closely to what he's doing because he's heading this whole thing up, but his playing is fascinating. He generally avoids walking lines, and favors fast, punctuated riffs, a style I'm more familiar with in fusion. The exceptionally funky bass riff on the title track anchors the tune, and it's interesting to hear how Blake subtly alters the rhythm and notes to mirror the changes.

"Little Help Solo" is Blake's solo feature, a touching meditation on the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends." It's also the only track here with Blake on electric bass. Somebody should have told Blake that people sample entire songs these days without giving credit, because "Little Help Solo" seems only vaguely related to the Lennon/McCartney classic, although the original melody does pop up occasionally. There's not a lot of competition, but I think I can safely say that the beautiful and complex "Little Help Solo" is the best bass solo I've ever heard.

The rest of Now is the Time is spirited acoustic jazz in the post-bop style, made more accessible by the riff-oriented nature of Blake's playing. There are a million old jazz records out there vying for your dollar, so it's not always easy to recommend a new album by someone you've probably never heard of. But if you're in the mood for some jazz that will make you feel good and, yes, joyful, you might pick this one up.

-Mark Richard-San