Tomes are available annotating the importance of this recording. The musical and social impact of , his collaborative efforts with , and in particular their reinvention of 's are indeed profound. However, the most efficient method of extricating the rhetoric and opining is to experience the recording. Few other musical teams would have had the ability to remain true to the undiluted spirit and multifaceted nuance of this epic work. However, no other musical teams were and . It was ' intimate knowledge of the composition as well as the performer that allowed him to so definitively capture the essence of both. The four dates needed to complete work on include contributions from several members of his most recent musical aggregate: (alto sax), (bass), and (drums). Although the focus and emphasis is squarely on throughout, the contributions of the quartet on are immeasurable. They provide a delicate balance in style and, under the direction of , incorporate much of the same energy and intonation here as they did to their recordings. There is infinitely more happening on , however, with much of the evidence existing in the subtle significance of the hauntingly lyrical passages from ' (alto flute) solos, which commence on Or the emotive bass and tuba duet that runs throughout The impeccable digital remastering and subsequent reissue -- which likewise applies to the box set -- only magnifies the refulgence of . Likewise, two previously unissued performances have been appended to the original baker's dozen. No observation or collection of American can be deemed complete without this recording. ~ Lindsay Planer