had just returned to Chicago after several years in Europe when they recorded this continuous 76-minute concert. Drummer (who had recently joined the classic group) was proving to be a major asset, holding his own with trumpeter , the reeds of and , and bassist . Although there are some meandering moments during their lengthy set, the music almost always holds on to one's interest (a humorous drunken is a high point) and gives listeners a very good idea of how sounded in its early days when it was not at all shy about exploring music's outer limits. ~ Scott Yanow