An all-star cast assists
Maynard Ferguson in this disco-tinged big-band outing.
Ferguson's trademark trumpet playing is featured in all its screaming glory, and
Mark Colby contributes a couple of high-energy sax solos. "Primal Scream" and "Invitation" sound as though they were lifted right off the mid-'70s disco dancefloor, complete with
T.S.O.P.-type strings and pulsing rhythms. "Pagliacci," too, has the disco beat pounding underneath a
Jay Chattaway adaptation of an operatic melody, with
Bobby Militello featured on an energetic, overblown flute solo.
Chick Corea's "The Cheshire Cat Walk" sounds like latter-day
Return to Forever, as
Corea's synth trades licks with
Ferguson's horn over a familiar
RTF rhythmic/chordal bassline sequence. The final cut,
Eric Gale's "Swamp," stands out because of its reggae beat. This album was an obvious attempt to jump on the disco-funk bandwagon, and serves as a well-played, though dated, document of that era.