Destination Out!

Like before him, sought to create a kind of vanguard " " that still had the feel and -- occasionally -- the groove of , though with rounded, moodier edges. was the album on which he found it. Still working with and -- his direct spiritual connection to -- changed his rhythm section by employing drummer and bassist . This combination proved a perfect balance of the four elements. The program is four tunes, three of which were written by . If there was a perfect session after 's , this was it. Opening with a was a novel idea in 1966, but uses 's love and hate to reveal all the tonal possibilities within this group of musicians, and the textural interplay that exists in the heightened sense of form, time breaks, and rhythm changes. As begun on , the notion of interval is key in this band, and an elemental part of 's composition. The horn lines are spare, haunting, warm, and treated as textural elements by 's vibes. On the tune throw complex rhythmic figures into the mix. 's writing is angular, resembling 's early-'60s melodic notions more than considerations. 's solo amid the complex, knotty melodic frame is just sublime. is 's only contribution compositionally to the album, but it's a fine one. Using a lyric and a shape-shifting sense of harmonic interplay between the three front-line players, moves deeply into a groove without giving into mere 4/4 time structures. The architecture of his solo is wonderfully obtuse, playing an alternating series of eighths, 12ths, and even 16ths against 's wide-open comping and arpeggio runs. The set ends with a strolling that makes full use of counterpoint on the vibes. sets his solo against 's melodic engagement of , forcing both men into opposition positions that get resolved in a sultry, funky, shimmering groove. Of all of dates, so many of which are recordings, stands as the one that reveals the true soulfulness and complexity of his writing, arranging, and "singing" voice. ~ Thom Jurek