Since 1974,
Cedar Walton's
Eastern Rebellion outfit has, on different occasions, been fronted by tenor saxophonists
Clifford Jordan,
Bob Berg, and
George Coleman, with trombonist
Curtis Fuller and trumpeter Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros appearing as guests. The longstanding core trio of pianist
Walton, bassist
David Williams (replacing
Sam Jones), and
Billy Higgins are now joined by tenor man
Ralph Moore for more of the inspired and well-oiled hard bop the group are known for. Driven by
Walton's provocative and involved accompaniment,
Moore ably displays his lithe and tart horn work on the leader's blues-tinged,
Thelonious Monk-inspired swinger "John's Blues" and the
Sam Jones' original "Bittersweet." Other fine selections include Latin cooker "Mosaic" and a stunning, bossa-nova flavored rendition of
Freddie Hubbard's "Sunflower," featuring a masterful solo by
Walton. Along with engaging, unaccompanied solo spots by each quartet member, sultry ballads like "My Old Flame" and
Moore's "Josephine" round out the top-notch set. A fine addition to any straight-ahead jazz collection. ~ Stephen Cook