Ant Farm

The follow-up to their highly successful (at least artistically) album Sideshow, Ant Farm treads a similar path, though perhaps in a slightly more straight-ahead vein, with more light-footed activity and less brooding contemplation. All the pieces are by leader Wilkerson, tending toward a jaunty swing spiced with a tinge of down-home rhythm and blues and a taste of gospel. Once again, his ensemble is made up of all fine instrumentalists, playing the written parts with verve and improvising imaginatively. Reedist Mwata Bowden and bassist Harrison Bankhead stand out in this regard. While very enjoyable, Ant Farm lacks the particular spark of its predecessor; their generally relaxed nature catches up to them a bit here causing a couple of numbers to lag and languish. The interested listener might be better off beginning with Sideshow to hear this wonderful band at the peak of its powers.