In the 1980s, Max Roach began experimenting with string quartets, eventually settling on a double quartet idea, using a traditional bop lineup with the addition of the Uptown Strings, a group formed at his request by his daughter Maxine, who plays viola. However, on this live date from Munich, Germany, Roach's jazz quartet is accompanied by the Swedenborg String Quartet.
The two compositions heard here are the extremely fast 20-minute "A Little Booker," and trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater's 18-minute piece, "Bird Says." Both compositions evolve and shift allowing ample time for each player to develop their solo climactically. A captivating CD with a plethora of improvisation, LIVE AT VIELHARMONIE is a memorable experience.