The Alex Levine Trio plays some lovely instrumental jazz on A Reason for Being Alone. Some of the pieces are made for swinging around the dance floor and others are slower, and the two tempos act as counterpoints to each other.

A pair of saxophones opens "Blues on Thursday," and the tone swirls around them for most of the piece. The piano is the quiet heart of "A Reason for Being Alone." Some of the themes started here are continued in "Emma's Ennui." The bass takes the lead at first, and then the melody passes on to the piano and guitar.

The music takes a cheerier turn in "For Pete's Sake" as the tempo picks up as the melody spins round the dance floor. "Her Solitary Wish" starts off wistful as the mood is set by the saxophone, the mood softens as the piece progresses. The emotive themes continue in "Your Call," though they become marked with longing.

With the change in tempo of "New Schooled" also comes a change in feel, and once again they slide from one mode to the next. One dance leads to another as swing gives way to a waltz, and "Polar Bear Waltz" is understated and elegant. They wrap up with "Blues Through Stained Glass" as each musician gets a solo that leaves the music a bit on the sparse side on occasion.

There is a lot to like on A Reason for Being Alone as the music fits some of the various moods of the night.

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