Of trumpeter
Blue Mitchell
's seven
Riverside
recordings, only this set -- along with three numbers on
Blue Soul
-- feature
Mitchell
as the only horn. Joined by pianist
Wynton Kelly
, bassist
Sam Jones
, and drummer
Roy Brooks
, the trumpeter is typically distinctive, swinging, and inventive within the hard bop genre. He performs four standards, plus
Ronnell Bright
's "Sweet Pumpkin," the obscure "Avars," and a pair of originals in fine fashion. ~ Scott Yanow