The title of this set is not an overstatement.
Tommy Flanagan has long been one of the top bop-based jazz pianists and, although he was somewhat neglected during his stints with
Ella Fitzgerald's group, he has been a steady poll-winner since finally going out on his own. This trio session with bassist
George Mraz and drummer
Al Foster (featuring seven standards and
Thad Jones's "Blueish Grey") is as tasteful and consistently swinging as one would expect from players of this caliber.