Long one of the top arrangers in jazz,
Bob Florence contributed seven inventive charts to five of his originals and two standards on this swinging, yet often complex, set and also takes "Never Let Me Go" as a sensitive piano solo. "Dukeisms," a lengthy piece commissioned to celebrate
Duke Ellington's 100th birthday in 1999, has quotes from five
Ellington pieces. Other selections include the cooking blues "Nerve Endings" (highlighted by
Carl Saunders' trumpet solo), a sensitive reworking of "Chelsea Bridge," a fairly abstract "Kissing Bug," trumpeter Steve Huffsteter's ballad feature on "Q&A," and the title cut. Other key soloists include guitarist
Larry Koonse; altoist Kim Richmond; tenors Tom Peterson and Jeff Driskill; trombonists Charlie Loper, Bob McChesney, and Alex Isles; and trumpeter Ron Stout, among others.
Florence's arrangements are full of color, variety, and surprises, making this a highly recommended release of modern big band jazz. ~ Scott Yanow