Critic's Review
Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Veteran arranger Gerald Wilson utilized a New York band full of all-stars for this very rewarding and memorable project. Three of the selections ("Dorian," "Ray's Vision at the U," and "Blues for Manhattan") form a suite called "The Diminished Triangle," which is based upon diminished chords and utilizes Wilson's eight-part harmony. Guitarist Russell Malone is showcased on the ballad "Musette," a remake of "Lomelin" pays tribute to a bullfighter in dramatic fashion, and such players as tenor saxophonist Kazumi Washington (an impressive new voice), pianist Renee Rosnes, trumpeters Jon Faddis, Jimmy Owens, and Sean Jones, and tenor man Ron Blake are among the many colorful soloists. But it is the enthusiastic arranger/bandleader who takes honors with his consistently inventive writing and (one imagines) enthusiastic conducting. Highly recommended.
