The three part “Shandra Lee" shows the band that their most open and abstract. Part One has Wooley playing solo, spare and lyrical with a strong slurred free section. Part Two is a duet for trumpet and bass clarinet that is slow and spacious, filled with whirls and eddys of sound. The disc closing Part Three has a long, smeared trumpet solo that is slow to develop, with rich tone and balance.
In between these performances, the full band comes into play, performing righteously on the likes of “Hands Together" which opens in a lazy and laconic way before developing a strong, potent trumpet solo punctuated by screams of brass while bass clarinet bubbles and vibes offer crystalline accents. “Elsa" offers a nimble full band introduction, moving to probing bass clarinet and brass that lock in and start to swing.
The band develops a deep and accessible groove with vibraphone accents (there 's a wonderful feature for Moran on the preceding track, “Pearl") and trumpet and bass clarinet interlude. This is clear and well articulated jazz that is modern in every way and shows the full range of the talent of the musicians involved.
