Watership Down

This obscure effort features an unusual two-keyboard quintet with bassist Clint Houston, guitarist John Abercrombie, pianist Joanne Brackeen, Onaje Allan Gumbs on piano and synthesizer, and drummer Al Foster. Actually Gumbs, who plays long tones now and then on synthesizer, is not heard from much outside of a thoughtful duet with Houston on Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma." Abercrombie (who sounds surprisingly boppish) and Brackeen have plenty of strong and searching improvisations on the four Houston originals and an obscurity. The fluent solos and driving accompaniment of Clint Houston (who takes "Afternoon Moods" unaccompanied) are excellent. Despite the short LP-length of the CD (39½ minutes), this intriguing set is worth searching for. ~ Scott Yanow