Lucky Thompson was just one of many tenor players that included Don Byas, Ben Webster, Johnny Griffin and Dexter Gordon who relocated to Europe where he was afforded the kind of attention that now alluded him back home. This release gathers up location performances for the Paris based Modern Jazz TV show featuring his two short-lived Octets for which Lucky both composed and arranged all the material. While the actual performances are of interest, some of Thompson's compositions are less than memorable. Though a top first generation bebop pioneer with an impressive CV, the arrival of Rollins, Coltrane and a revitalised Dexter proved a distraction. Coupled to this, Thompson's mental instability later hampered his progress resulting in him withdrawing from music and dying in poverty. Well before that, one of the highlights here is a workout on ‘Anthropology’ where Thompson shares the Blue Note stage with guitarist Jimmy Gourley and the club's resident trio The Bosses – Bud Powell, Pierre Michelot and Kenny Clarke. Also to be heard is a quartet rendition of ‘Loverman’ with Alice McLeod (aka Coltrane) on piano.