Eastern Rebellion: Mosaic

Since 1974, Cedar Walton's Eastern Rebellion outfit has, on different occasions, been fronted by tenor saxophonists Clifford Jordan, Bob Berg, and George Coleman, with trombonist Curtis Fuller and trumpeter Alfredo "Chocolate" Armenteros appearing as guests. The longstanding core trio of pianist Walton, bassist David Williams (replacing Sam Jones), and Billy Higgins are now joined by tenor man Ralph Moore for more of the inspired and well-oiled hard bop the group are known for. Driven by Walton's provocative and involved accompaniment, Moore ably displays his lithe and tart horn work on the leader's blues-tinged, Thelonious Monk-inspired swinger "John's Blues" and the Sam Jones' original "Bittersweet." Other fine selections include Latin cooker "Mosaic" and a stunning, bossa-nova flavored rendition of Freddie Hubbard's "Sunflower," featuring a masterful solo by Walton. Along with engaging, unaccompanied solo spots by each quartet member, sultry ballads like "My Old Flame" and Moore's "Josephine" round out the top-notch set. A fine addition to any straight-ahead jazz collection.