Of all the leaders he worked with in the early stages of his career, none had a greater influence on the masterful trombonist Turre than the late Woody Shaw, to whom this excellent CD is dedicated, particularly in the choice of trumpet-trombone front-lines. By using five different specialist trumpeters over the nine tracks, he covers a lot of contrasting territory. Jon Faddis is up first with a blistering stunning solo on a G-minor blues, followed by a modern mainstream finger-snapper named after Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison. Wallace Roney's two tracks have, not unsurprisingly, Miles-ish overtones, but the intruiging Harmon-muted ‘In Retrospect’ has a decidedly hip hop rhythm feel. ‘Luna’ is appropriately described as being “like the other side of ‘Solar’” and stretches all the soloists harmonically. Buster Williams and Xavier Davis lift all four tracks. Claudio Roditi brought in a genuine swinging samba (‘Annette's For Sure’) and also plays beautifully on Turre's deep-felt ballad in remembrance of pianist Hilton Ruiz, so senselessly killed in New Orleans in 2006, ‘Adios Mi Amigo’, which features some seldom heard modern wah-wah plunger-mute trombone à-la-Tricky Sam in Ellington's band and a poignant pensive solo by Perdomo. The mood changes with an absolutely brilliant Latin track ‘Manny's Mambo’ featuring Turre on shells, the legendary 83-year-old Cuban veteran trumpeter Chocolate Armenteros, bassist Andy Gonzales and three major percussionists (the Delgardos and Martinez). The final two Turre tunes are the most modern – the modal waltz ‘3 For Woody’ and the shell intro-ed, down-tempo minor bluesy ‘Brother Bob.’ Both highlight the growing maturity of the youngest guest trumpeter, Freddie Hendrix, who brings a touch of Shaw, Hubbard and Pelt to the proceedings. A nicely varied, well-planned album, which succeeds on every level. And Turre plays superbly throughout.