The Chicago Underground Trio's previous releases have found trumpeter Rob Mazurek and company flirting with electronics, but never so heavily as on the recent Slon. While electronically augmented jazz ensembles are nothing new, finding that delicate balance between free improvisation and constrained electronic composition can be bewilderingly difficult. But Slon is a fine example of a successful endeavor.

Drums, bass and trumpet are often accompanied by electronic washes, drones and overdubbing that expand the group's sound. None of these effects are superfluous however; they are integral to the groups' arrangements. Naturally, the shadow of electric period Miles Davis pervades this music, but just as important to the trio's dynamic is the classic free-jazz of Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. While earlier releases by the group have strayed further into more exploratory territory, Slon finds the trio with its most concise and streamlined statement to date.