On this second Locksmith Isidore release on Clean Feed Records, Jason Stein continues to redefine the bass clarinet as a lead instrument. Stein has developed his own personal voice on an instrument so few fully command. In his hands, the lower pitched specimen of the clarinet family is no longer merely a substitute for the saxophone, but is a primary instrument with its own inner logic and vocabulary. His devotion to the legacy of bass clarinet icon Eric Dolphy is apparent, though Stein’s approach is clearly all his own. On Three Less Than Between, with Jason Roebke on bass (replacing Kevin Davis on cello) and Mike Pride on drums, Stein’s compositions exhibit a full spectrum, from classic jazz trio to free music vehicle for experimentation. Roebke is a master of drive and propulsion, and underneath it all the sonic force of Mike Pride functions like a combustion engine. Add to this Stein’s innovative language on the rarely used instrument–another page turned in history.