Saxist Reiner Witzel teams with pianist/rhodes-ist Richie Beirach to lead a left of center quintet with Alex Sipiagin/tp, Joscha Oetz/b and Tobias Frohnhofer/dr for some assertive and free form ideas. On piano, Beirach is full fisted as he broods on the dramatic “Blue Trees” and goes modal for the dark “Requiem…” with Frohnhofer tapping into his inner Elvin Jones throughout. Sipiagin marches through the militaristic dirge of “Madagascar” and is bluesy with Witzel’s soprano on “Flashback” while the co-leader’s tenor is warm and thoughtful on the delightful “Old Moscow”. Beirach sounds inspired, harkening back to his days with Dave Liebman, looking forward by looking backward.