| Ben Besiakov is no born band leader, but a recording was to be made when he was in New York and had gathered a wonderful group of his favourite musicians in connection with "The Danish Wave" cultural campaign in New York. After a live gig he went into the legendary Manhattan studio Sound on Sound with his American peers and none other than Jabers Farber as sound technician. It turned out to be an incredible session, with drummer Billy Hart, bass player Ray Drummond, tenor sax player George Garzone and his old Danish sparring partner, trumpeter Jens Winther.
This session, led by Danish pianist Ben Besiakov, boasts a killer lineup: Jens Winther on trumpet, George Garzone on tenor, Ray Drummond on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. The title track and the lengthy "Square Time," both co-written by Besiakov and Winther, are the most abstract and adventurous cuts. (The latter could be the love child of Herbie Hancock's "Little One" and Wayne Shorter's "Sanctuary.") Winther's "That's the Way," in contrast, starts the session swinging hard and in the pocket, and Besiakov's "Blues on the Square" (a slow-and-steady riposte to McCoy Tyner's "Blues on the Corner") wraps up the disc in similarly straight-ahead fashion. Garzone and Winther take turns laying out: "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" features the tenor, "Body and Soul" and "Aviation" feature the trumpet, and Carlos Lyra's "Você e Eu" ("You and I") finds Besiakov in a trio setting. When the whole band unites, as on "Square Time," the going gets mighty serious. ~ David R. Adler, All Music Guide |