‘Supergroup’ can be something of a throwaway term, but this gathering has players of sufficient stature to give the description substance. Pianist Shipp and drummer Cleaver may be better known, to some, than saxophonist Scott Robinson and double bassist Kevin Ray, but the latter two are highly respected on the New York scene, with Robinson having a mile-long discography that boasts work with Ron Carter and Maria Schneider.

Furthermore, he is also one of those rare beings who is as skilled on saxophone as on trumpet, and in addition to those instruments he uses the Hungarian double reed taragato as well as the slide cornet. Hence the sonic range of his input takes the group far beyond what might be expected of the bulk of quartets with a single reed or brass player.

In any case, this is very much an ensemble session in which jointly composed-improvised music is the order of the day. The loose, ambling character of the songs, which meander seamlessly between fragmented rhythm and muscular swing, is well enhanced by the high standards of the four bandmembers as well as the creative bond between them.

There are parallels to draw with some of the other small group work Shipp has done in the past, namely ODIM (Other Dimensions In Music), and there is a flinty, grainy beauty that permeates pieces that playfully tease their melodic asides into life. It is also pleasing to see avant-garde music on Mack Avenue, a label with a mostly straightahead catalogue.