Ralph Peterson Quintet - V (1989) [MP3]

For his first Blue Note album as a leader, drummer Ralph Peterson leads an often densely exciting set of probing acoustic jazz with a quintet (hence the Roman numeral title) that pushes back and forth from a post-bop base into some challenging near-free territory. The stylistic gamut of the CD runs roughly from the adventurous, idiom-shifting "Enemy Within" at the top to the relatively conventional hard bop of "Bebopskerony" at the close. Peterson is propulsive, combustible, and precisely controlled throughout, yet it is pianist Geri Allen's energetic work that largely defines the direction and moods of the music. Trumpeter Terence Blanchard -- who is quite animated on this session -- saxophonist Steve Wilson, and bassist Phil Bowler round out the group.