The Tribe Records stalwart makes his return here in a perfectly passable mid-'80s set. It doesn't hurt that
Wendell Harrison is joined by former labelmate and master of the trombone
Phil Ranelin and velvet yodeler
Leon Thomas. The ensembles vary in size from quintet to small big band. The variety in setting keeps things dynamic and interesting. While certainly not as good as the earlier records that made his reputation, this is a nice set of straight-ahead tunes. What more could listeners want? After all, no one expects
Ornette Coleman's new records to match his Atlantic output, but fans are satisfied just the same. Fans of the loose funky vibe espoused by Tribe or the dulcet tone of
Thomas will find a lot here to like. For them, this set is as comfortable as an old glove.