The superior, complex, and colorful arrangements of altoist
Ed Jackson and French horn wizard
Tom Varner make this project a cut above most. The eight-piece group often sounds double its size during the episodic works, and the music is consistently unpredictable.
Thelonious Monk's "Played Twice" becomes surprisingly repetitive (in a colorful way) while "Have You Met Miss Jones?" retains the melody but little else. The other seven pieces (four by
Jackson and two from
Varner) always hold onto one's interest, exploring a wide variety of moods and styles, from swinging to sound explorations and group soloing. There are fine individual moments from the musicians (
Jackson is quite original on alto and his soprano playing on "Under the Gun" is memorable), but it is the arrangements and unusual ensembles that stick most in one's mind. This is an obscure but very rewarding disc, one that should have made
Ed Jackson famous. ~ Scott Yanow