Rudy Royston "303"

Rudy Royston, a drummer known for his crackling, kinetic work with Dave Douglas, J.D. Allen, Bill Frisell and other VIPs, headlines the Vanguard behind his 2014 bandleader debut, 303 (on Douglas’s Greenleaf Music label), which pays tribute to his Denver roots. Expect an accessible sound that doesn’t pander—it’s postbop with a tender sophisticated-pop sensibility—as Royston leads a septet.