This intriguing set combines several strong personalities (
David Murray on tenor and bass clarinet, guitarist
James "Blood" Ulmer, pianist
Don Pullen, bassist
Lonnie Plaxico and drummer
Marvin "Smitty" Smith) in performances that are avant-garde, close to free bop and sometimes hinting at
Charles Mingus, M-Base and harmolodics. The quintet performs a nearly 15-minute version of "All the Things You Are" and three
Murray originals, including "David -- Mingus." The somewhat noisy performances are pretty spontaneous and, thanks to
Pullen's rhythmic style, a little more accessible than one might expect, despite being quite adventurous. ~ Scott Yanow