For this Black Lion reissue CD, the cool-toned tenor
Brew Moore is accompanied by a strong European rhythm section (pianist
Bent Axen, the teenaged bassist
Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen and drummer William Schiopffe) plus (on two songs apiece) altoist
Sahib Shihab, the great baritonist
Lars Gullin or vibraphonist
Louis Hjulmand; the opening two songs showcase
Moore without the guests. Although the music is essentially straightahead cool bop, there are only two jazz standards ("You Stepped Out Of A Dream" and
Oscar Pettiford's "Laverne Walk") among the eight numbers with the majority being originals by group members. A highlight is "The Monster" which matches
Moore with the passionate alto of
Shihab and shows the influence that the avant-garde was starting to have on the mainstream players. Overall this is a particularly strong outing for the underrated (and somewhat forgotten)
Brew Moore, who easily holds his own with his sidemen (including
Gullin). ~ Scott Yanow