Excition in Bloomington, MN

Over the course of a few days in early 1977, pianist
Hilton Ruiz
recorded enough music for a trio of
Steeplechase
albums.
Excition
is a strong example of
Ruiz
's ability as both a performer and arranger. Leading a solid quintet with saxophonist
Frank Foster
, trumpeter
Richard Williams
, bassist
Buster Williams
, and drummer
Roy Brooks
, the leader's
"Dedicated to the Cooker"
is a breezy hard bop vehicle that sparks his session mates.
Foster
penned the forward-thinking
"Excition,"
on which he switches to soprano sax. He's back on tenor sax for another original,
"The House That Love Built,"
a melodic ballad which omits
Williams
. The trumpeter contributed
"Blues for Becky,"
a hip hard bop number. The original LP only had four tracks, so this CD reissue adds a take of
Pharoah Sanders
'
"Origin,"
an enjoyable rendition but clearly not as strong as the originally selected material. ~ Ken Dryden