An early moment of genius from the young
Clare Fischer – one of his first sets for a larger ensemble, and the start of years of great work to come! Previous Pacific Jazz sessions featured
Fischer in a piano trio – but this album lets
Clare loose on a host of his own inventive arrangements – a set of charts and compositions that easily move between the modern and the groovy – sometimes using offbeat tones and sounds that rival the best that Ellington or Gil Evans had to offer – other times coming across with this fluidity that's a perfect summation of the way that
Fischer pulled together all of the California cool of the 50s, and managed to come up with something completely fresh for the 60s! The modern edges will come as a real surprise to those who only know
Fischer's more easygoing work – and in addition to
Clare's own work on piano and organ, the record also features Jerry Coker on tenor, Gary Foster on tenor and clarinet, Jack Nimitz on bass clarinet and baritone, Sam Most and John Lowe on flutes, and Don Shelton on alto – all working with reed interplay that's completely sublime. Titles include "Bittersweet", "Igor", "Canto Africano", "Extension", "Passacaglia", and "Ornithardy".