During his lifetime, pianist and composer (1931-1980) was a jazz enigma. The Philly musician practiced with during the early '50s and is credited as the primary influence on the saxophonist's "sheets of sound" harmonic approach first articulated on -- a sound that exploded across his work. is a genuine jazz holy grail, one of only two albums to feature the pianist's compositions and unique playing style. The first, , was credited to because it was the only way to get 's to sign the pianist. Pleased, the label commissioned an album from . Using bassist , drummer , and saxophonist , completed the session. shelved the record when he couldn't make it to the mixing sessions. The master was lost in a 1978 warehouse fire, and a taped copy languished in a company vault for decades before , collector and friend , former producer , and boss restored it and brought it to light. This set includes seven of the eight originals cut during those 1965 sessions. Another, "Ad Aspera Ad Astra," recorded on another day, was not copied. The music, though easier to approach in the 21st century, is quite radical in harmonic density and rhythmic invention. Opener "Atlantic Ones" offers a -esque lyric intro before the band careens across a knotty bop head. articulates 's wonky harmonic line in his solo, pushing the quartet as the pianist explodes with swinging, abrupt right-hand chord clusters. "El Hasaan" is angular, played in several different time signatures at once with and offering different rhythmic articulations even as the tune itself dictates a 12-bar blues. It moves far afield during the pianist's emotive solo. "Richard May Love Give Powell" is a glorious, bluesy ballad with deft lines from while the rhythm section walks gently behind him. comps with noiri-sh chord voicings, adding angular motivic dimension to the melody. The title track offers striated harmonics via 's modal phrasing and finger-popping amid a -esque melodic frame. add detailed harmonics, punchy dynamics, and forceful physicality for to channel in his solo. The set-closer "True Train" is a nearly 11-minute excursion that registers the abundant musicality in 's approach to jazz. He leads the band through swing, bop, hard bop, and modal jazz in lyric statements. solos around and comps to 's highly developed lyricism and rhythmic funkiness through raggedy blues and elegant syncopation. includes three alternate takes, rare photos, and an obsessively detailed liner essay by with abundant quotes from . Without doubt, this is one of modern jazz's great lost albums -- the music here is astonishing. Any jazz fan who encounters this work (and all should) will be blessed by the experience. ~ Thom Jurek