Although drummer
Max Roach has been engaged in many special projects during the past 20 years, his main group has been his regular quartet. On this Soul Note recording from 1979, trumpeter
Cecil Bridgewater,
Odean Pope (on tenor, flute and oboe) and bassist
Calvin Hill (who would later be succeeded by
Tyrone Brown) join
Roach for concise interpretations of eight group originals (everyone contributes at least one song) along with
Clifford Jordan's "Japanese Dream." Although the group would continue to grow and evolve, it was already a pretty impressive unit by 1979. As usual with
Max Roach's bands, this group filled the gap between hard bop and the avant-garde. ~ Scott Yanow