Croatian pianist Matija Dedić may well be largely unfamiliar to international audiences but his trio mates here, the Pat Metheny Unity Group drummer Antonio Sánchez and Sánchez quartet double bassist Scott Colley, certainly aren’t. But it's more a case of primus inter pares. Check out the title track above for proof. Born in Zagreb the 41-year-old is the son of a well known Croatian pop singer mother Gabi Novak and the poet/songwriter Arsen Dedić. A seasoned player already Matija’s sideman credits include appearances with Benny Golson and Kenny Burrell, and the pianist is now well established into his career as a leader debuting with From The Beginning released five years ago, an album that featured Jeff Ballard and Larry Genadier, two thirds of the Brad Mehldau trio, while 2011’s MD in NY found Dedić keeping equally illustrious company with Kendrick Scott and Vicente Archer on board. New album Sentiana (Blue Bamboo Music) released next week features mostly original material of the pianist’s including a clever reinvention and meshing together of the harmonic heart of ‘Stella by Starlight’ and ‘Skylark’ in the process creating a new modernistic piece that recalls the style of a young Chick Corea but with Dedić’s own natural highly virtuosic touch embossed confidently on it.