Sound unheard but name well-read, it is certainly tempting to dismiss The Dead Kenny G's, the trio of busy saxophonist Skerik, longtime associate and basisst Brad Houser and Les Claypool sideman Mike Dillon. How could this be anything other than a prankish high school band, right? While there is a certain degree of trickster mentality to the act's mix of nimble sprints and blunderbuss noise, they're actually a fairly compelling unit, navigating the very awkward line between jam-band geniality and art-rock abrasion. Sure, the shout-out-loud punk rock bits can sound exactly like an unrehearsed high school unit, but that's sort of the point—awkwardly fitting several sounds into a space that actually doesn't exist. —Grayson Currin