Jazz: Rebecca Cline and Hilary Noble

Enclave Diaspora ***1/2

You do not need to be conversant in Latin folk and religious music and Latin rhythms to dig the music of Enclave, the Boston-area quartet led by pianist Rebecca Cline and tenor saxophonist, flutist and percussionist Hilary Noble. The soulful expression of the principals and their sidemen, electric bassist Fernando Huergo and drummer Steve Langone, makes immediate contact irrespective of such details, as heard on their "Enclave Diaspora" (Enclavejazz).

The group's evolving, thematic performance of "Iya Modupue," a tune based on an Afro-Cuban hymn, shows a reach from traditional to avant garde, culminating in aggressive, collective improvisation. "A-Frayed," which follows, is more down-to-earth, with Cline's electric piano striking a groove reminiscent of the jazz fusion group Weather Report. Later, "Mars Bars," another Cline-Noble composition, mixes three-four and four-four meters in complex combinations and variations.

Rhythm dominates the playing of Cline, who studied with Joanne Brackeen and Chucho Valdes. (Her jabbing solo on "Crossroads" is a good example.) Noble's tenor tone and style show character and commitment, whether the tune is a ballad such as his and Cline's "Nameless" or the metric workout, "Mars Bars."