Pianist Frank Woeste won praise for his first Pocket Rhapsody album in 2016. Now he’s back with Pocket Rhapsody II, which actually features some of the same tunes. But if anything, the return to the title track and ‘Mirage’ only reinforces how Woeste has evolved. The treatments are very different, as are the personnel delivering them.

Elsewhere, Woeste lets the deep, reverberant treatment of his Rhodes nudge him toward smooth jazz. But it all can be broken down into two elements: a dexterity at fitting complementary rhythm parts together and a sensitivity to texture. Pocket Rhapsody II pulls beauty from shadow for all to hear.