That Ricky Ford means business on this pulsating album is evident from the outset of the opening American-African Blues. His passionate, bursting solo draws its inspiration roots all the way from Hawkins to Coltrane via Al Sears and Roland Kirk. On this and the other six Ford originals in this set, Ricky organised the tune structures to allow for the insertion of free improvised passages for himself and the other players.
Throughout the date Ricky's fellow musicians - Jaki Byard (piano), Milt Hinton (bass), Ben Riley (drums) - are able to indulge in classic interplay, to be free yet to function as a whole.
This album is indeed a worthy ad historic documentation of four distinct and toric documentation of four distinct and formidable artists dedicated to the continuum of American music and freedom of expression. |