A strong effort by
Shepp
, who is reunited with pianist
Horace Parlan
and joined by bassist
Wayne Dockery
and drummer
George Brown
for a an eight-track set recorded in Germany. The highlight is clearly the sole track with
Parlan
in which they perform
Monk
's
"Ask Me Now"
both effectively and emotionally. The version of
"Go Down Moses (Let My People Go)"
is a winner for
's glorious baritone vocals and his saxophone solo. The excellent choice of tunes (including
Duke Ellington
"I Didn't Know About You,"
Todd Dameron
"Hot House,"
and
Bird
"Now the Time"
) presents
in a fine light, where he blows both tenor and alto saxophones. Some of the pieces, such as
"Party Time,"
are less than perfect and the saxophonist's vocals on
"The Good Life"
are only average, but overall,
and the quartet are a pleasure to hear. ~ Steven Loewy