Ed Blackwell Trio - Walls - Bridges (1992)

The unique drummer Ed Blackwell gets first billing on this CD (he would pass away just a little more than seven months later) but the main star is tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman. The concert (which features a trio also including bassist Cameron Brown) is an example of superior freebop. Although some of the music is boppish and there are explorations of Miles Davis' "Half Nelson" (which is over 19 minutes long), "Everything Happens to Me" and "Take the 'A' Train," there is also a lot of space for Redman's fairly free improvising. The communication between the three masterful musicians (Blackwell shows no signs of weakness) is quite impressive, and overall this is a highly recommended set of explorative yet fairly accessible music. © Scott Yanow