This studio session represents one of
Tommy Flanagan
's earliest dates as a leader, recorded while he was in Stockholm, Sweden. Bassist
Wilbur Little
and a young
Elvin Jones
on drums provide strong support, but the focus is on
Flanagan
's brilliant piano. The brilliant opener is a potent brisk run through
Charlie Parker
's
"Relaxin' at Camarillo,"
followed by a faster than typical
"Chelsea Bridge,"
which the leader playfully detours into another
Billy Strayhorn
composition (
"Raincheck"
) for a moment, while also featuring
Jones
' brushwork in a pair of breaks.
's approach to the venerable
standard
"Willow Weep for Me"
is steeped in
blues
, backed by
Little
's imaginative accompaniment. The bulk of this date is devoted to
's compositions, though only one,
"Eclypso,"
remained in his repertoire for long. This engaging piece alternates between
calypso
and
bop
, with
switching between sticks and brushes.
"Beat's Up"
has the obvious influence of
Bud Powell
, while the extended
"Little Rock"
opens with a sauntering bass solo. This album has been released under various titles on several labels, including
DIW
,
Dragon
Met
, and
Prestige
, though
Fantasy
reissued it with three alternate takes in 1999. ~ Ken Dryden