The quintet Craig has assembled here forms a genuinely cohesive unit. Alto saxophonist Sean Payne, described by the leader as his closest musical confidant, proves an ideal foil throughout, while trumpeter James Copus brings a burnished tone that recalls the Young Lions movement without slavish imitation. The rhythm section of pianist Rainer Böhm and bassist Géraud Portal provides both bedrock stability and adventurous colour, particularly Portal's arco work on Fred Hersch's 'Phantom Of The Bopera'.
The programming shows careful thought. Payne's opener 'Namesake' establishes the group's hard-swinging credentials immediately, while Wayne Shorter's 'When You Dream'—drawn from the composer's undervalued 1980s output—demonstrates Craig's ear for neglected gems. The leader's own 'Dealin'' channels Roy Hargrove's spirit without pastiche, built around a groove that Gregory Hutchinson would doubtless approve of.
Craig's drumming throughout displays both technical command and emotional intelligence. His extended solo 'The Chieftain', dedicated to Jeff 'Tain' Watts, avoids showboating in favour of architectural thinking, building tension through space as much as activity. The closing duet with Payne on 'Afterthought' caps the album with spontaneous conversation that feels genuinely telepathic.
The album's centrepiece may be Michael Brecker's previously unreleased 'Lunations', which the band transforms into a second-line shuffle with blues undertones. Here, Craig's concept crystallizes: this is jazz that honours tradition while refusing to be imprisoned by it. The odd-metre groove bounces rather than lurches, making complex rhythm feel natural.
Production values, courtesy of Hutchinson at a Cologne studio, capture the quintet's live energy without sacrificing clarity. Each instrument occupies its own sonic space, allowing the intricate interplay to breathe.
*A Time Once Forgotten* marks the arrival of a significant new voice. Craig has absorbed his influences thoroughly enough to speak with his own accent, leading a band that functions as true collective rather than mere backing group. The album title proves apt: this is jazz that remembers its past while writing its own future.
For a debut recording, it displays remarkable maturity and vision. Craig clearly understands that great jazz emerges not from wholesale innovation but from personal expression within established forms. On this evidence, his journey has barely begun.