Recorded in Montreal with 24 strings from the Montreal Symphony and two can't-miss jazz cohorts, bassist
Christian McBride and drummer
Billy Higgins, here we have another reunion between
Weston and arranger
Melba Liston in a collection of mostly early
Weston tunes, some dating back to the early 1950s. The strings sound unearthly, as if they were recorded in a dead studio (the locale is the Ludget-Duvernay Hall of Montreal's Monument National), and even though
Liston blends them with the piano in an integral manner, they respond stiffly; it's an uneasy, not terribly imaginative fusion. The most famous
Weston tune "Hi-Fly" is completely retooled into a cocktail-hour ballad - it also features the most intricate string chart - and composer
Weston enjoys poking around the tune's angles and corners. Coming after his exciting African experiments in the '90s, this CD, despite
Weston's sharply-etched solos, is a relatively minor nostalgic effort. ~ Richard S. Ginell