The first in what was destined to be a series of small group jam sessions for
Steeplechase
, producer
Nils Winther
conceived these recordings as a way to produce a few surprises in the studio by bringing together musicians who weren't overly familiar with one another's playing and also to encourage a few originals in addition to
standards
. Three tenor saxophonists,
Larry Schneider
,
Rick Margitza
, and
Chris Potter
, all of whom double on a second reed, are accompanied by pianist
Andy LaVerne
, bassist
Jay Anderson
, and drummer
Billy Hart
. The results are even better than what
Winther
may have envisioned.
Margitza
's scorching
modal
blues
"Change Up"
gets things off to a lively start, while
Potter
switches to bass clarinet and
to soprano sax for the pianist's delightful
"Triplicate,"
a tune that ended up being called on again for later recordings in this series.
Schneider
penned the rousing
"Sticks Up,"
which is a wailing
post-bop
vehicle featuring the composer on soprano sax.
's
"Go Tenor"
is another demanding up-tempo
, with all three reedmen back on tenors. Finally, a ballad medley spotlights each of the three sax soloists individually. There's never a dull moment on this valuable date. ~ Ken Dryden