If we were to look at the career trajectories of both Redman and Bad Plus, we would see in the case of Redman an involvement in pianoless groups in more recent times – Back East (2007), Compass (2009) and Trios Live (2014) – and piano ensembles (such as James Farm) interspersed with the jazzwith-strings Walking Shadows (2013). What is perhaps lacking is the creation of an effective and definitive context within which to focus his talents as an improviser: his recent career a series of ‘projects’ rather than the refinement of an overall vision for himself as an artist. In contrast, The Bad Plus have created a context for themselves, a trio sound that is their own, but there has been a feeling since their heady days of hearty deconstructionism following their major label debut with These Are the Vistas, of searching, but not quite finding, a real direction for their music. Thus this collaboration gives much to both parties: to the saxophonist an effective context within which to function as an improviser, and the trio, who seem energised by a sense of direction fresh blood has bought, a driving force that is perhaps the discovery, as contemporaneous press reviews of their live concerts have noted, of the long lost fourth member of the group. As with other Bad Plus albums, there are some insanely intricate passages, but leavened with touches of humour and rock inflected energy from the fine drumming of Dave King. Redman effortlessly fits into this world, but his solos suggest fresh paths to be trodden and fresh horizons to aim for, and with bits of each party rubbing off on the other, the future looks good.