In 1980, trumpeter
Red Rodney teamed up with multi-instrumentalist
Ira Sullivan to form a modern jazz quintet. Their appearances at the Village Vanguard resulted in three LPs for Muse (and six over a two-year period), all of which will hopefully be reissued on CD someday.
Rodney was inspired in the setting, which featured recent originals rather than bop standards;
Sullivan (heard on soprano, tenor, flute, and flügelhorn) gained some publicity for his underrated skills; and young pianist Garry Dial (heard here along with bassist Paul Berner and drummer Tom Whaley) had an opportunity not only to play, but to write as well. On this album, the quintet performs three tricky pieces by trumpeter
Jack Walrath, a couple of recent obscurities, and
Johnny Mandel's "A Time for Love." Stimulating music. ~ Scott Yanow