Pianist
Jim McNeely, who includes stints with
Ted Curson,
Stan Getz,
Thad Jones and
Mel Lewis, and
Phil Woods on his lengthy resume, has been gradually recognized by the jazz public as a terrific composer, but these 1976 sessions, which mark one of his earliest dates as a leader, show him to be a very advanced writer at an early stage of his career. The hypnotic opener, "Wishful Thinking," features
Larry Schneider on soprano sax in a modal setting.
McNeely switches to electric piano for his playful "Little Green Men." On the catchy "Tipe Tizwe," based on a traditional African folk song, the leader plays both piano and African thumb piano (which is rarely heard in jazz), and is joined only by percussionist
Sam Jacobs. "Rain's Dance" is a driving post-bop composition that marks the typical ebb and flow in the intensity of a summer storm; it's heard in two separate takes, featuring fine solos by
McNeely, bassist
Mike Richmond, and
Larry Schenider on tenor sax. This adventurous date by
Jim McNeely is well worth acquiring.