E.E. Pointer long ago established himself as the Midwest’s premier avant garde artist. Often lumped into the admittedly broad category of jazz, Pointer’s music transcends even the most encompassing boundaries. His latest album, Patio Sketches is a testament to Pointer’s unflinching willingness to explore the new while never forsaking that which came before. Two tracks into the album, and the listener knows that they’re in for an all-encompassing, mind-expanding ride. The opening piece, Nexus is an electronic-fueled dive into Pointer’s own chaotic take on the popular genera of synthwave. But just when the listener thinks they’ve gotten a grasp on what the track is all about, a Middle-Eastern-reminiscent flavor sneaks its way into the soundscape. This attention-grabbing opening is quickly followed by Fallish, a calm, jazzy keyboard-focused composition, which as the album title and cover suggest, evokes images of relaxing autumn moments on a back porch watching the Midwestern colors populate the line of sight. The album continues in much the same fashion: vacillating between the experimental and the traditional, doing so in the method that has become a hallmark of Pointer’s work: incredibly impressive in a way that is understated in its nuance and scope. With Patio Sketches E.E. Pointer has incredibly done it again: taken the listener on an aural journey that reaches deep into the soul, providing beauty and catharsis, while simultane