Mingus alumnus McPherson is one of many fine soloists whose own output is somewhat eclipsed by their sideman work with the aforesaid colossus, in part because they were players rather than composers. This mid-1970s set shows just how strong an improviser McPherson is as he runs through a standards set list – ‘East Of The Sun’, ‘Bouncing With Bud’, ‘Blue ‘N’ Boogie' – that also explains why he would have fallen out of fashion as the likes of Weather Report and the Brecker brothers were in the commercial ascendant. So this is on the button post-bop for those who were looking for Bird's second coming, and while it is very much an application of the template as it was conceived in the mid-1940s it has a vitality that makes the applause at this gig very logical. McPherson exudes warmth as well as ingenuity and in Harris and Raney he has two excellent accompanists in the frontline.