Alexander Flood is an Australian percussionist with a proud jazz foundation and an ever-expanding ear. His sophomore effort, The Space Between, traverses the worlds of fusion, hip-hop and R&B. He is signed to trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s Stretch Music label who he also collaborated with on “Pathways.” Flood’s music has recognizable links back to Guru’s Jazzmatazz and Miles Davis’ Tutu and Bitches Brew eras. “All For The Pocket” features rapper Nelson Dialect and the groove reignites the cultural flow between hip-hop and jazz. It is mostly instrumental but singer Vivian Sessoms makes “Starseed” an instantly memorable moment by adding exquisite heights of emotion to tumbling rhythms and soaring synthesizers. Flood’s 2020 debut album HEARTBEAT introduced his openess to other genres within his jazz roots. The Space Between includes more diverse sounds and textures indicating the young drummer’s growing sound palette. Listening to the album one can assume the real space between is a place where music happens free of labels and prescriptive destinations.