The onrush of Barnes on record continues, as does the flow of releases on his Woodville label. Having heard this ensemble excel at last year’s Swanage festival, it’s easy to understand why he felt it should be recorded. The co-leaders are form players in any situation and each contributed charts to this five-sax group, reworking a mixture of classic pieces by Benny Carter, Edgar Battle, Tadd Dameron and Ellington et al, with just a single Barnes original among the 10 performances. There’s spirit aplenty in the up-tempo opener, Carter’s ‘Doozy’, wherein the band replicates the composer’s original sax section writing and is notable here for King’s pulsing line and De Krom’s spring-heeled drumming. ‘The End of A Love Affair’ showcases the full section’s ease in tackling a complex arrangement, five breathing as one, AB’s alto the first to emerge, with Mayne, spikier, before Sharp bustles in on baritone. Mr and Mrs O’Higgins show up pretty well too as each plays chase with Barnes and Mayne. There’s a sense throughout of everyone up on their toes for this session, the section blend spot-on, as is their collective articulation, everyone soloing ably and at will, with this rhythm section daring them not to swing. A note too for Aspland, another player who knows how to rise to the occasion, always anxious to add value. Just to hear this gang play their version of Dexter Gordon’s solo on ‘The Chase’, fast-moving and lapel-grabbing is a joy, as is their ‘reduction’ of Ellington’s celebrated ‘Ko-Ko’ chart, with Sharp echoing Carney’s time-honoured line and Barnes’ limpid clarinet snaking in and around the harmonies. Listen and expect to be bowled over.