While known these days as one of the smoothest pianists around, back in the mid 60s Bob James mixed proto-bebop with some splashes of avant garde, as this historic reissue by Resonance Records testifies. James is teamed with bassist Larry Rockwell and drummer Robert Pozar for a January 20, 1965 session and then replaces Pozar with Omar Clay for a October 9 recording in NYC.
James is in a hip mood on “Serenata” and is Bill Evans-lyrical during “Once Upon A Time” while whimsically playful for ”Lateef Minor 7th”. He gets a bit artsy with Pozar’s brushes on a Monkish “Variations” and with Clay he delves into an elliptical “Solar”. Wood has a sprinter’s pace on “Airegin” and digs in with James on a crisp “Long Forgotten Blues”. Yes, he goes outside and stretches like latex at times, but this would be considered middle of the road today. An illuminating listen.