Christian Dillingham's As It Relates To Now carries that quiet confidence you find in the finest contemporary jazz albums. Rather than flaunting technical skills just to impress, Dillingham builds the record around atmosphere, momentum, and genuine feeling. He uses the trio format as a space for real musical conversation instead of solo spotlights. Featuring Greg Ward on alto saxophone and Jeremy Cunningham behind the kit, this recording feels deeply rooted in Chicago's thriving creative music community while remaining welcoming thanks to its strong rhythmic backbone and crisp melodic threads.

And let me tell you, As It Relates To Now absolutely swings!

What makes this album work so well is how it builds intensity without falling apart. Tracks like "Wooden Lawns" and "Delusional Grandeur" capture a band navigating uncertainty in real time, blending groove-centered structures with experimental sections and moments of creative friction.

Dillingham's bass playing reaches well beyond basic rhythm section duties, acting as the emotional anchor that steers the trio through evolving textures and changing moods. Ward cuts through the mix with alto lines that carry sharp emotional weight, while Cunningham maintains a sense of flow and spontaneity rather than locked-down arrangements.

The album's title, As It Relates To Now, perfectly reflects what drives these compositions. You can hear the influence of contemporary anxieties: cultural polarization, emotional exhaustion, and the challenge of making authentic human connections in our chaotic times. Yet the music never turns cynical. Pieces like "Behind the Horizon" and "The Divine Current" point toward optimism and growth, shaping an overall experience that feels thoughtful rather than bleak. Recorded at Pro Musica in Chicago with mixing by Ken Christianson, the production preserves the trio's intimate chemistry while giving each part of their musical conversation room to breathe and evolve naturally.

While contemporary jazz often becomes trapped in academic intricacies or relies on sentimental throwbacks, As It Relates To Now discovers more meaningful middle territory. The music feels modern yet unforced, tackles present-day concerns without turning didactic, and speaks plainly while retaining its creative sophistication. Dillingham continues building his reputation as a reflective voice in the current jazz bass scene, and this record comes across less as stylistic experimentation and more as a confident artistic statement - a work that rewards close listening while preserving the visceral power of live trio performance.

As It Relates To Now can be mined here can be mined here from Shifting Paradigm Records or wherever the finest of modern jazz records are being sold.