A truly wonderful advanced hard bop date, captures pianist at his most adventurous and creative. With the exception of 's closing wrote all of the material on this six-song album, and his compositions are clever, melodic, and unpredictable without being cloying or inaccessible. He has assembled a first-rate sextet to perform the material, enlisting trumpeter , tenor saxophonist , bassist , alto saxophonist/flautist , and drummer . Even the subdued and search out new territory with their subtle themes and exploratory solo sections. The key to the success of is that is a gifted arranger, creating nimble, challenging arrangements that are accessible, but reveal more details upon each listen. As a pianist, he has moved beyond his initial influence and reveals new aspects of his technique. , , and are equally impressive, helping elevate to one of the finest sophisticated hard bop dates released in the mid-'60s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine