Everything comes together rather nicely on
Marc Cary's trio affair,
Focus, with the pianist accompanied by two sympathetic musicians, bassist
David Ewell and drummer
Sameer Gupta. The fireworks begin with
Cary's explosive, far-reaching interpretation of the late
Jackie McLean's "Appointment in Ghana," which stretches into dissonant lines and even kicks into a Latin setting for a moment or two. Two African-flavored compositions by
Cary, the pulsating "Walk with Me" and the equally driving "A Long Walk Home" (with
Gupta overdubbing tablas), prove to be immediately infectious and never lose steam. "So Gracefully" is a delightful original modal ballad with an underlying vamp that's at times somewhat similar to
John Coltrane's famous arrangement of "My Favorite Things."
Gupta contributed the lyrical ballad "Taiwa" and jointly composed the intense post-bop vehicle "Elephants Eye" with the leader. The depth of
Marc Cary's skills as a composer and pianist on this outstanding release merit his recognition as one of the best jazz musicians of his generation.