Pianist
Mike Longo put together a fine big band of New York players for this swinging effort. The tunes are generally boppish and his arrangements are somewhat reminiscent of the music played by
Dizzy Gillespie's big bands although with his own modern touches. Among the key soloists are tenor-saxophonist
Frank Perowsky, altoist
Lee Greene, and trumpeters
Virgil Jones and
Burt Collins among others. Some of the more memorable selections include "The Eternal Traingle," a Porgy and Bess medley, "A Night in Tunisia," and "It Don't Mean a Thing" (which is played surprisingly slow). Although nothing overly innovative occurs, there are plenty of subtle surprises on this fairly unpredictable but always swinging set.