I think a shorter list could be compiled of which jazz stars bassist Buster Williams hasn’t played with during his illustrious 60 year career. This album with the strong team of Steve Wilson/as-ss, George Colligan/p and Lenny White/dr have Williams and company swinging in post bop fashion on impressive originals.
Williams’ bass, thick and palpable, is a force of its own, creating a soulful line as he is the featured lead on “Lost on 4th Avenue,” creatine a rich mood as he chirps with Colligan on “Stumblin’,” bowing with Wilson’s sweet soprano on the graceful “Ariana” or digging a deep path on the modal title track. The team canters like mustangs with Colligan’s classy piano work on “Briana” and their collective muscles are flexed on Wilson’s bopping delight “Sisko” with the composer’s rich alto leading the charge. This is a uniformly impressive outing by a uniformly impressive artist.