The quartet heard on Jumping the Creek … sets a high mark in his career. … The pianist Geri Allen here turns in some of her most committed, nuanced playing in years, covering ground from modal to ballads to free, though often in combination with only one other musician. Robert Hurst and Eric Harland, on bass and drums, spread out the music, often by laying out completely. They’re playing what needs to be said, rather than fulfilling a function. … Mr. Lloyd, in long improvisations on three different horns, gradually and systematically works toward the boiling point. … In jazz, when free improvisation and structured playing bleed into each other, something special happens. … Jumping the Creek is as good an example of this as you can find. - Ben Ratliff, The New York Times |