By late 2004, Batista opted to leave the band again, this time for good. He parted ways with Varley and Blattel, who began to search for a bassist. Their search led them to Patrick Flanagan from Houston. Flanagan had been playing professionally in jazz and rock bands since his early teens, gaining notoriety in North Texas as an experimental virtuoso in several bands (e.g. Fort Worth's Spiritual Hum). Soon after Batista's departure, Flanagan jammed with Drop Trio on several occasions, each time yielding more and more impressive results. Flanagan joined them on the road. The band grew into a well-respected progressive jazz trio.