There has never been a jazz pianist with a more inclusive concept than Jaki Byard. The proof is in the program of this album, his second for Prestige/New Jazz. It contains a composition by James P. Johnson that was virtually forgotten at the time; the Randy Weston title track (a standard in the making that this cover version helped on its way); new views of familiar classics by Monk, Shearing, and Pettiford; and three Byard originals that cover a full spectrum themselves. Only Byard could deliver the rollicking "Tillie Butterball," inspired by both a puppy and a bowling alley, then turn around and deliver the ambitious and forward-looking "Here to Hear." Bassist Ron Carter and drummer Pete LaRoca bring a similar era-spanning knowledge of jazz history, plus the technical command to follow a leader whose inspiration might take them anywhere.

with Ron Carter, Pete La Roca