This music, first released on a Prestige twofer nearly 20 years after it was taped in Rudy Van Gelder's studio, is classic augmented Red Garland Trio. In addition to bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor, the sine qua non of the pianist's many successful late-Fifties trio albums, conga drummer Ray Barretto is also aboard, as he was on Manteca (OJCCD-428-2). It is remarkable how the great conguero can slide so effectively into this trio's groove, and even more amazing how that groove can sound in its unadulterated form when Barretto lays out on "A Tisket, A Tasket." As usual, Garland had a nose for the right material and the right ensemble flourish, be it Chambers bowing a solo on "Blues in Mambo" or the pianist's own block-chord edifices throughout. There can never be enough of the affirmative music that this first volume of rediscoveries typifies.

with Paul Chambers, Arthur Taylor, Ray Barretto