The venerable band Steps Ahead, consisting at this stage of Mike Mainieri/vibe, Bill Evans/ts-ss, Chuck Loeb/g, Tom Kennedy/b and Steve Smith/dr, teams up with the WDR Big Band Cologne conducted by Michael Abene for a hard hitting and swinging session . The horns from the WDR Big Band adds extra punch, yet still leave plenty of space as the Mainieri and Evans create a modern Weather Reportish funk vibe on ”Pools” and Kennedy does some snappy bass work during “Trains.” Smith is in rapid fire mode as Evans’ tenor roars through “Steppish” and Loeb glides through the hip soul groove of “Blue Montreux.” The two forces create a dramatic dynamic that reaches a climax on the hard hitting “Beirut” while the horns produce some Gil Evans sensitivity on “Sara’s Touch.” A real joy.