Never heard of Dmitri Matheny? Neither had I. With that name, you figure he’s from some place east of St. Petersburg. Turns out it’s Tucson. Like every jazz musician worthy of the name, Dmitri Matheny hears something all his own. For Starlight Cafe, he hears a gathering of nocturnes that find a rapt late-night moodspace and stay there. He plays evanescent songs that beautifully fit his intention, like “Stardust” and “Corcovado” and “When You Wish Upon a Star.” But even when he varies the tone with more extroverted originals like “Geneva,” he does not break the atmosphere. One reason is his instrumental sound: lambent, poignant with human breath, a spirit voice that compels attention even when it whispers. Another reason is his drummerless ensemble. Pianist Darrell Grant and bassist Bill Douglass are intense listeners who sometimes anticipate and instantly echo Matheny’s spontaneous ideas, and sometimes string counterlines in his path. The three are always weaving one fabric.

Dmitri Matheny. Starlight Cafe. Now you know.