Baritonist
Ronnie Cuber is in typically swinging and hyper form throughout this fine hard bop quintet date. Trumpeter
Ryan Kisor gets in his licks and the rhythm section (pianist
Michael Weiss, bassist
Andy McKee, and drummer
Tony Reedus) is also excellent. The quintet stretches out on three intriguing if not overly memorable
Cuber originals (including a ten-and-a-half-minute version of "Mirage"),
George Benson's "Mimosa," and three standards, including a very spirited rendition of
Charles Mingus' "Better Git in Your Soul." Virtually every
Ronnie Cuber recording is worth acquiring by fans of the baritone sax.