Svinget 14

For this Black Lion reissue CD, the cool-toned tenor Brew Moore is accompanied by a strong European rhythm section (pianist Bent Axen, the teenaged bassist Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen and drummer William Schiopffe) plus (on two songs apiece) altoist Sahib Shihab, the great baritonist Lars Gullin or vibraphonist Louis Hjulmand; the opening two songs showcase Moore without the guests. Although the music is essentially straightahead cool bop, there are only two jazz standards ("You Stepped Out Of A Dream" and Oscar Pettiford's "Laverne Walk") among the eight numbers with the majority being originals by group members. A highlight is "The Monster" which matches Moore with the passionate alto of Shihab and shows the influence that the avant-garde was starting to have on the mainstream players. Overall this is a particularly strong outing for the underrated (and somewhat forgotten) Brew Moore, who easily holds his own with his sidemen (including Gullin).