Six of the 11 selections on this CD (most of which were written by drummer
Peter Erskine,
Vince Mendoza, or
Kenny Werner) feature
Joe Lovano on tenor (and in one instance soprano) in a quartet with pianist
Werner, bassist
Marc Johnson, and
Erskine;
Lovano (who would soon hit it big) already sounds quite mature and creative. Three of the other numbers have slightly larger groups (with guitarist
John Scofield, tenor saxophonist
Bob Mintzer, and trumpeter
Randy Brecker appearing on some of the cuts),
Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way" is taken by the
Werner-
Johnson-
Erskine trio, and the brief "But Is It Art?" is a drum solo. Throughout the date, the solos uplift the material and make this CD a worthy purchase for listeners who enjoy challenging but sometimes accessible post-bop music. ~ Scott Yanow