Further evidence of Lewis’ European obsession, these two albums were recorded in July 1962: first, European Encounter in Stockholm while Animal Dance was taped one night in Baden-Baden. Both might well be Lewis-led quartets, but neither Asmussen or Mangelsdorff are reduced to bit players. Quite the opposite, on six Lewis originals plus Ornette's ‘Lonely Woman’ the swing-into-bop violinist offers a very different take on the instrument to say Stéphane Grappelli: most notably on the spirited interpretation of ‘Django’. As for the ‘Animal Dance’ session, this is very much a showcase for Mangelsdorff's assured versatility. Be it a highly thoughtful ‘Autumn Leaves’ for which Lewis sits this one out or a romp through ‘Set ’Em Up’, back in 1962 this must have served notice to observers on the other side of the Atlantic that there was a new sheriff in town. And as for JL, he hadn't sounded quite this relaxed or swung so confidently in many a moon.