After his
big band
experiment,
Duke Pearson
returned to a smaller group setting, but he didn't scale back his ambitions.
The Phantom
finds
Pearson
writing an ambitious set of
post-bop
that expands the boundaries of the music with Latin percussion and complex harmonies derived from the
avant-garde
. His supporting band is fairly large, featuring
Jerry Dodgion
(flute),
Bobby Hutcherson
(vibes),
Sam T. Brown
(guitar),
Alexander Gafa
Bob Cranshaw
(bass),
Mickey Roker
(drums),
Carlos "Patato" Valdes
(conga), and
Victor Pantoja
(conga), but they're agile, bringing a spark and energy to the difficult arrangements. The results aren't always successful, but they are intriguing and worth investigating. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine