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".