Although the term "avant-garde" is used several times in the liner notes, this quartet outing by trumpeter
Ted Curson, tenor saxophonist
Bill Barron, bassist Herb Bushler and drummer
Dick Berk actually falls between hard bop and free bop.
Curson and
Barron in particular made for a potent team and their interplay on nine originals (five by
Curson, four by
Barron) is quite impressive, swinging and occasionally witty. This CD reissue brings back the entire
Tears for Dolphy album plus three of the six songs from the Flip Top LP, all recorded the same day. Although the title cut does not live up to its potential, such tunes as "Kassim," "7/4 Funny Time," "Quicksand" and "Searchin' for the Blues" manage to be both explorative and surprisingly accessible. ~ Scott Yanow