This is one of pianist
John Lewis
' most rewarding albums outside of his work with
the Modern Jazz Quartet
. Three numbers (including a remake of
"Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West"
) showcase his piano in a quartet with guitarist
Jim Hall
, bassist
George Duvivier
, and drummer
Connie Kay
. A 15-and-a-half-minute rendition of
"Body and Soul"
has one of tenor saxophonist
Paul Gonsalves
' finest solos, while
"Afternoon in Paris"
features a diverse cast with trumpeter
Herb Pomeroy
,
Gunther Schuller
on French horn, tenor man
Benny Golson
, baritonist
Jimmy Giuffre
, and guitarist
; altoist
Eric Dolphy
cuts everyone. This set was reissued in 1988 as part of
Atlantic
's
Jazzlore
series. ~ Scott Yanow