It can offer the fullness of a big band, as well as the improvised solos of a small combo, plus rhythmic riffs or walls of support behind the solos, to which neither the smaller nor larger ensemble is well suited. For the septet to achieve this potential, both the arrangements and the implementation must be tight. Here, they are. We knew from his first CD and his live performances that Kerry Strayer could play. Now, we know he, like Gerry Mulligan, is a sophisticated, dynamic and versatile arranger.
Later lines feature the flute and bass playing the same melody.
While the arrangements are superb, they do not overshadow the individual playing. You needn't be a Gerry Mulligan fan to enjoy this disk, although I doubt there are music lovers who are not Mulligan fans. Indeed, the Mulligan compositions presented here are not his best known. Every tune, however, offers the wit, intelligence and toe-tapability associated with his better known works. The bonus is that every tune also offers the special touch of Kerry Strayer and his Septet.