This CD has some of the best all-around playing by the
Mark Egan-
Danny Gottlieb group Elements. The band originally started out as a crossover/fusion group, but by the mid-'90s it was much more post-bop with touches of
Weather Report and
Miles Davis-type fusion. In addition to the co-leaders, the solo strength of keyboardist
Gil Goldstein and particularly
David Mann on soprano and tenor gave this unit its own musical personality, permanently taking it away from crossover into adventurous (yet accessible) jazz. The seven originals on this live set (six by
Egan) serve as stimulating devices for fiery and creative solos, and the music is consistently exciting. Highly recommended, this date is an essentially unclassifiable set of modern jazz. ~ Scott Yanow