Slow Drag
was one of trumpeter
Donald Byrd
's final
hard bop
dates. Teamed with altoist
Sonny Red
, pianist
Cedar Walton
, bassist
Walter Booker
and drummer
Billy Higgins
(who takes a surprise vocal on the title cut), this quintet outing features originals by
Byrd
,
Walton
and
Red
along with the
standards
"Secret Love"
"My Ideal."
The music in general finds
looking both backwards toward the
blues
and forwards toward
modal
music and hints of the
avant-garde
. A fine effort. ~ Scott Yanow