Caine is an excellent pianist and arranger, while Gustav Mahler was an extraordinary composer. But hearing the famous passing—note discord of his ‘Adagietto’ played on piano, suddenly recalling Monk, doesn't persuade me that they fit together. This compilation of Mahler's posthumous collaboration with Caine, presumably celebrating the centenary of the former's death in 1911, is both fish and fowl but not a satisfactory blend. A couple of shorter items here are rather bland, thanks to a rather straight use of violin and clarinet, while the 14—minute title—track (which has little to do with Mahler’s ‘Der Tamboursg’sell ( is a strong workout for Binney, Feldman, Bensousan's voice and oud, and of course Jim Black. But what does the turntablist and electronicist add, especially when the ‘Adagietto’ is commented (disrupted?) by ‘classical’ records, including one of the same material? Not only my lingering affection for the original versions leaves me feeling that Caine's efforts are less than the sum of their parts, but it may be the split at the heart of this selection is actually between Caine's leanings towards post—bop and towards freer styles.