This fiery session, recorded live in France in 1997, features drummer Ali Jackson at the helm of a quartet with
Abraham Burton on alto sax, Carlos McKinney on piano, and Tassili Bond on bass. The record is built around four long movements, each of which contains a number of separately titled subsections. The first movement is a full-tilt, modal minor blues, followed by the moodier "Snoqualmie Suite" and the driving mid-tempo "Swingwenski," featuring stunning solos by the whole company. A direct segue introduces the culminating "Wise One Suite," in which Jackson employs
John Coltrane's classic theme to frame a series of epic improvisations. Finally, Jackson quenches the crowd's encore thirst with the off-the-cuff "Groove for Clermont-Ferrand." The live echo in the hall renders
Burton's horn a bit shrill at times, but on the whole the balance is good and Jackson succeeds in getting the very most out of these remarkable players. Since this date his abilities as a drummer and leader have grown all the more impressive. ~ David R. Adler