Two Charles Mingus stalwarts come together here as co-leaders – drummer Dannie Richmond and tenorist George Adams, who also plays a bit of flute – in a quintet with Hugh Lawson on piano,j Mike Richmond on bass, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone – also a key Mingus sideman! CD

The meeting of two key modern jazz talents in the late 50s third stream of jazz – heard on material pulled from three different Atlantic albums recorded at the Music Inn during 1956! The core of the set features the clarinet of Jimmy Giuffre blowing alongside the Modern Jazz Quartet – in a spacious style that's very much in the spirit of Jimmy's own loosely-crafted groups of the time, and which makes surprisingly gentle use of piano, drums, and vibes next to his own gentle phrasing on clarinet. 2 of the 5 tracks with the MJQ add in Giuffre trio members Jim Hall and Ralph Pena – and titles for all include "A Fugue For Music Inn", "Serenade", "Fun",j "Da Capo", and "Fine". Added to these are 4 more titles that have Giuffre in the shifting company of other all-star players on tunes that take on a more traditional nature overall – longer jamming tracks that feature Rex Stewart, Pee Wee Russell, Teddy Charles, and Herbie Mann on titles that include "Blues In E Flat", "In A Mellotone", "The Quiet Time", and "Body & Soul". The last 3 tracks on the set return us to the Modern Jazz Quartet – working here on their own – on tracks that include "2 Degrees East 3 Degrees West", "Variation No 1 On God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", and "Oh Bess Where's My Bess". CD