Pianist Hasaan Ibn Ali only made one recording in his life, this trio set with drummer
Max Roach and bassist
Art Davis. A very advanced player whose style fell somewhere between
Thelonious Monk and
Cecil Taylor (with hints of
Herbie Nichols), Hasaan actually had a rather original sound. His performances on his seven originals here are intense, somewhat virtuosic and rhythmic, yet often melodic in a quirky way. This is a classic of its kind, and it's a tragedy that Hasaan would not record again and would soon sink back into obscurity. ~ Scott Yanow