Larry Willis: The Offering

The six-note ostinato bass line on the title track sets Willis in high-flying motion, caressing the keys with stylish improvised flitters. The driving opener also features a boisterous drum solo by Drummond. "TD's Tune," Willis' bouncy minor theme allows Gomez to flex his creative muscles, resulting in a bass solo of astonishing lyricism.

The spacious, Latin-tinged "Alter Ego" segues nicely into the melancholic charm of Willis' "Ethiopia," a compositional high point of the disc. Willis' arrangement, featuring beautifully bowed passages for Gomez, is hauntingly lush.

Alexander demonstrates a soulful edge on the up-tempo "The Rock." His blistering tenor foray intensifies the proceedings and leads to charged up solo turns by Willis and Drummond. "Three-Four Movement" is a light-as-air waltz with a thick harmonic undercurrent, reminiscent of the recordings Gomez made with pianist Bill Evans in the 1970s.

Although "Theme from Star Trek" may seem like an odd choice for a jazz recording, the familiar theme lends itself surprisingly well to the swinging treatment exhibited here. The disc ends with a brief solo piano reading of Duke Ellington's "Melancholia," a poignant ending to session filled with moments of creative mastery.

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