The notion that nothing spurs the creative process like a deadline fully matches the back story of David Gilmore’s second album for Criss Cross, on which the 54-year-old guitar master navigates eight never-recorded compositions of both recent and older vintage, and a pair of well-wrought covers. “I had two months to write the music, so I was under the gun,” Gilmore says, before distinguishing From Here To Here with his label debut, Transitions (Criss-1393), for which he convened a crackling quintet to interpret repertoire by a cohort of recently deceased masters (Victor Bailey, Paul Bley, Bobby Hutcherson, Toots Thielemans, Woody Shaw, and iconic living elder Hermeto Pascoal). “I wanted to get a smaller working group in the studio to facilitate touring. My very first record Ritualism was centered around a guitar-piano-bass-drums quartet; I wanted to return to that format (a) because I like it, and (b) because of logistics.” The end result is an exceptionally vivid, varied date on which the leader showcases characteristically fluent chops, conceptual acumen and focused intention, matched by a rhythm section of New York first-callers. His primary soloistic foil is Luis Perdomo, himself a leader of four Criss Cross albums and pianist of choice for such avatars of Afro-Caribbean expression as David Sanchez and Miguel Zenon. “Luis is one of my all-time favorite pianists, one of the best out there,” Gilmore says. “He picks up things super-quick, he’s got great ideas, and harmonically and rhythmically he’s got it all covered.”

Victor Gould grew up in Los Angeles, California and began playing piano at the age of four. While attending the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, he augmented his studies at the Berklee Five-Week Summer Performance Program, and was selected for the Brubeck Summer Institute Program. Gould recently completed his undergraduate degree at Berklee College of Music, where he was the recipient of the Herbie Hancock Presidential Scholarship. Gould's honors include the 2009 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award and a 2006 Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition semifinalist. As a member of the Donald Harrison Quartet, Gould recorded three CD's and a DVD, and toured the United States and Europe. He has also performed Ralph Peterson, Terence Blanchard, Branford Marsalis, Nicholas Payton and others.
Source: https://about.me/victorgould

Maret studied at Conservatoire de Musique de Genève, then The New School in New York City. On March 13, 2012 Maret released his first album as a leader. He has worked with Steve Coleman, Kurt Elling, Pat Metheny, Andy Milne, Meshell Ndegeocello, David Sanborn, Jacky Terrasson, and Cassandra Wilson. In 2003 he was the subject of Swiss filmmaker Frédéric Baillif's documentary Sideman.