Of the three hundred plus jazz albums I've listened to, this is one of my top ten favourites. Every track is outstanding, and Freddie Hubbard and James Spaulding are an incredibly exciting and complementary front line, with many of their ideas transcending expected jazz forms. Ronnie Matthews, whom I've rarely heard outside this recording, is in tune with the horns, adding drive where required and spreading sheets of sound in softer moments. The rhythm section don't just back up, they help the music take off, especially on 'Far Away' (which might just be my pick of the tracks). If you like Joe Chambers' 'Mirrors', this can also be heard on Bobby Hutcherson's 'Patterns' album (currently out of print). Believe the other rave reviews, this is one fantastic jazz album. And if you agree, then check out 'Let Freedom Ring', by Jackie McLean - another album I wish I'd heard sooner.

There were many classic records released by Blue Note in 1964. This, unfortunately, is not one of them. The ugly cover should have been a tip-off, but I was persuaded to part with my hard-earned paper to get this. The opening track is clever, but is extremely irritating. Hubbard's playing is fine throughout, but the compositions (with the exception of the final beautiful track by Joe Chambers) are abysmal. I concur with the assesment below - a big disappointment. This is a far cry from adventurous Blue Note classics like Wayne Shorter's 'All Seeing Eye (to which Hubbard contributes some fantastic playing), Andrew Hill's sadly underappreciated and out of print 'Compulsion' and Cecil Taylor's essential 'Conquistador!' and 'Unit Structures' (among others). In a word, on sale, it's a buy. Otherwise, avoid.

Up to this point in his career, Freddie had recorded with the Blue Note repertory company. This CD features his working group. Drummer Joe Chambers and flute/sax player James Spaulding first earned notoriety with this ensemble.

The title track is a misguided effort to be "outside" that simply fails. It's a surprisingly forced, weak effort and an obstacle to the rest of the music. Placing that track at the end or simply dumping it would have made this music far more widely-appreciated, for the rest of this CD is outstanding!

On the other hand, "Far Away" is a superior track, among the finest in the Blue Note catalog. The urgent flute work; insistent, rhythmic piano of Ronnie Matthews; and Chambers' simmering, malleable timekeeping meld in a blaze of sound and beat which sounds progressive even by today's standards, yet remains accessible. If this group played this song in its club repertoire, geez I wish I could have heard it live! The rest of the cuts are more conventional in composition and approach but uniformly strong. Chambers simply stuns throughout.

I must penalize this set for the weak title track. When I listen to this CD, I simply start on track 2. From that point on, this is a 5 star effort and a must-hear.