Finally, here is the first appearance on CD of 's 1960 album . This was 's swansong to the small-group format he'd helped pioneer in the mid-'30s, but anyone expecting to encounter an updated version of 's echt-1937 will be in for a disappointment. All of 's productions of the LP era, save , are a mixed bag, and is a project even some of 's most dedicated admirers find arcane and impenetrable. Nonetheless, is an extraordinary release in many ways, even for . There are the "secret" personnel to consider, not known to the public in 's lifetime, and as his handwritten sheet identifying the group was somehow lost, it was once feared that the membership of " " would always remain a mystery. But an interview with harmonica legend revealed the answer -- in addition to , vocalist , and himself, the rest of the group was , trumpet; , guitar; , tenor sax; , Hammond organ; , piano and vibes; , bass; and , drums. Many of these same players worked with on an album he'd produced in 1958 for singer ; both and had also joined for a number of other projects as well, including the ill-conceived . You would think with such high-octane players that would've given them a bit of room to stretch out. Actually, he does nothing of the kind -- these 12 rather short pieces sport relatively few solos by anyone, and only is given any time in the spotlight. So keeps a pretty tight rein on things, and in the four presented here that makes for some pretty unremarkable listening. But to ignore the balance of the record for the sake of these four tunes would be to miss out on what a weird and wonderful record this is. First of all, there are the two controversial selections where her voice is speeded up; on sounds like a stressed-out Martian. There are hints of 's fascination with devices, as ends with an electronically generated cow "moo," or in the gunshot heard at the end of probably the only song in 's entire book that's based on a 12-bar change. The pieces are all worthy of 's earlier literature, which for many remains his stylistic hallmark. These pieces generally tend to be more complex and ambitious, yet shorter than his earlier works. The very shortness of the pieces works against them; you really need to listen at least a couple of times to figure out what is going on. But once you've got a grip on , its virtues becomes obvious. It may not become your favorite album, but all "true believers" must know it is an essential part of 's oeuvre. Others who are less predisposed to 's earlier music may yet like a little better; open-mindedness doesn't hurt in approaching it. In any event, is certainly a way better album than . ~ Uncle Dave Lewis