Conveying mystery and calm but also motion and contrast, Steve Tibbetts returns to ECM for his ninth album. He plays a bit of piano but mainly his signature, offbeat Martin 12-string guitar, bolstered by the deeply musical percussion of Marc Anderson and the unobtrusive yet effective cello of Michelle Kinney. Tibbetts’ inspiration: the Life Of the various people in the song titles. He summons overtones and vibrations with a soft, skillful touch, imbuing the American Primitive sound with a South Asian tinge.