Considered 's finest recording of his all-too-short career, this re-reissue has been newly remastered and presumably now includes all of the takes from these nonet and sextet sessions of 1955. Considering the time period, this date remains way ahead of the Latin-tinged and hard bop music that would follow. It would be difficult to assess the sextet being a step below the larger group effort, but only because it is much less Afro-Cuban. Nonetheless the unmistakable drumming of powers the combo through the blisteringly swinging with unison horns ( , tenor sax; , baritone sax). The other easy swinging pieces and display great group empathy and seem effortless, though they're not. It's the Latin-based music that really differentiates this band from all others of this era, save 's. 's robust bari ignites the hip call-and-response motif of while his horn in tandem with pianist backs the up-front horns, supplemented by trombonist , for the heated mambo-ish hard bopper Two takes of are, curiously enough, exactly the same time at 4:24, both super cooking with 's clear-as-a-bell trumpet leading the other horns, which practically act as backup singers. Percussionist is the perfect spice added to this dish. The lone ballad, is remarkable in that its marked tender restraint feels on the brink of wanting to cut loose, but never does. A first-rate recording for the under-appreciated , this one should be in every collection of all true music lovers. ~ Michael G. Nastos