Title: Herd Mentality
Product review: A terrific companion disc for the band's "Giant Steps." Both cook, but of the two this is my favorite: great songs; interesting, varied arrangements; high-octane musicianship; and Woody, a pro so secure that he's willing to yield the spotlight to his trombonist (in "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?"). I find this disc one of those that arrests your attention, not by the virtuosity of single tracks, but rather by the solid coherence of the whole. Since most of the melodies are unfamiliar ("Lazybird," "Blues for Poland," "America Drinks and Goes Home"), that quality is nailed by the band itself. The one exception--the stand-out track--is "Corazon," in a brilliant, unforgettable arrangement and a dead-on performance that is paradoxically tight and loose, from ppp to fff. All in all, ten of the happiest bucks you're likely to plunk down.
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