Victor Lewis is not only one of the most important drummers to arrive on the scene during the post-bop era, but he is also a phenomenal composer. On this series of trio recordings, with bassist Ed Howard and the addition of
Terell Stafford,
Steve Wilson, or
Seamus Blake,
Lewis explores ten of his challenging originals.
Blake, heard on tenor sax, easily negotiates the demanding twists within "Complex Dialog" while offering a percolating solo in the driving "He's More Good Than Bad."
Stafford, like
Lewis a veteran of
Bobby Watson's Horizon, is superb on flugelhorn in the somewhat Caribbean-flavored "The Cloisters," switching to muted trumpet for the frenzied "Shaw of Newark" (in all likelihood a tribute to the late
Woody Shaw, who was raised in the city), which features some of
Lewis' most intriguing percussion on the session. The mood turns somewhat ominous in the intense piece "The Roamer," highlighted by
Wilson's plaintive soprano sax.
Wilson is heard on alto sax in the more upbeat "Another Angel." The only quartet number is "With Dignity," featuring both
Blake and
Stafford in a work reminiscent of
Lewis' many contributions to the repertoire of Bobby Watson & Horizon. Throughout the date,
Lewis demonstrates why he was one of the most in-demand drummers of his era. This provocative CD will be of considerable interest to fans of
Victor Lewis. ~ Ken Dryden