When twin brothers François and Louis Moutin brought their Moutin Reunion Quartet to this year’s Ottawa International Jazz Festival, it was one of those surprise performances that created an immediate buzz amongst festival-goers. The intensely powerful quartet played with the kind of total engagement that grabbed the audience from the first note. While most people didn’t know who the Moutin Reunion Quartet was walking into the show, it’s a sure bet that they’ll be remembering them for a long time to come.

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While the Moutin Reunion Quartet is an all-acoustic affair—with the exception of the occasional Fender Rhodes work by Bethmann—the influence of Jaco-era Weather Report is strong, in particular the complex detailing of Wayne Shorter’s best writing for that group. And yet, the execution is so effortless and the grooves so unassailable that the elaborate foundations are truly invisible until you pay close attention. And, despite the inherent challenge of the material, there’s also room for the kind of interpretive spontaneity that makes for an invigorating listen throughout.

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What distinguishes the music of the Moutin Reunion Quartet is how it can be tightly arranged and yet completely openended at the same time.

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