The combination of drummer
Max Roach's regular group (which includes trumpeter
Cecil Bridgewater, tenor saxophonist
Odean Pope and electric bassist
Tyrone Brown) with the Uptown String Quartet to form his
Double Quartet works extremely well. Because the strings get to improvise and are not restricted to the background, the interplay between the two groups is a special highlight of this particularly strong outing. In addition to works by
Pope and
Brown (the latter contributed "Tribute to Duke and Mingus"),
The Double Quartet interprets Steve Turre's "Double Delight,"
Randy Weston's "Hi Fly" and
Roland Kirk's happy "Bright Moments." A frequently exquisite yet adventurous album, highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow