One of the greatest modern moments on Blue Note - ever! From the cover, to the compositions, to the playing on the set - the whole album crackles with an unbelievable fire that was hardly ever matched again. A young Sam Rivers leads a quartet that includes Jaki Byard on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Anthony Williams on drums - coming together in a sound that's got lots of sharp edges, yet which also beats with an undeniably swinging heart. Rivers blows incredibly on the session - held in check by the rhythm section, and never getting too free (or sloppy, as on some later sides) - and instead hitting these hard tones that really push the envelope of 60s jazz without rewriting the rules entirely. Brilliant all the way through, with tracks that include "Beatrice", "Ellipsis", "Cyclic Episode", and "Downstairs Blues Upstairs". (courtesy of www.dustygroove.com)