This session, led by Danish pianist
Ben Besiakov, boasts a killer lineup:
Jens Winther on trumpet,
George Garzone on tenor,
Ray Drummond on bass, and
Billy Hart on drums. The title track and the lengthy "Square Time," both co-written by
Besiakov and
Winther, are the most abstract and adventurous cuts. (The latter could be the love child of
Herbie Hancock's "Little One" and
Wayne Shorter's "Sanctuary.")
Winther's "That's the Way," in contrast, starts the session swinging hard and in the pocket, and
Besiakov's "Blues on the Square" (a slow-and-steady riposte to
McCoy Tyner's "Blues on the Corner") wraps up the disc in similarly straight-ahead fashion.
Garzone and
Winther take turns laying out: "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" features the tenor, "Body and Soul" and "Aviation" feature the trumpet, and
Carlos Lyra's "Você e Eu" ("You and I") finds
Besiakov in a trio setting. When the whole band unites, as on "Square Time," the going gets mighty serious. ~ David R. Adler