Abbey Rader is a drummer whose Homecoming features two pianoless quartets permutating reedmen Dave Liebman, Mack Goldsbury and Richard Oppenheim. His wiry compositions offer them plenty of freedom in soloing, but within loosely defined structures - in the manner of Monk, but not the style. His skill provides texture and context, underlined by the performances on the only tune not by him, Monk’s “Well You Needn’t”. The results are gritty and absorbing.
- Chris Sheridan
This is a hard-hitting album. It’s free style playing with enough form to hold it together. Although this group owes a lot to the style and tradition of Monk, they perform Rader’s quite unique and interesting tunes much better. If you like mainstream only, you may not like this. But I prefer mainstream ordinarily and I liked this a great deal.
- Mike Campbell