Originally released in 1989 on a Sungai LP, Hep's remastered version comes with Bobby's original notes plus an illuminating essay by Rob Adams of The Herald in Glasgow and a smart booklet. While it's happily true that Wellins is presently in the form of his life, it is certainly good to have this earlier adventure restored to circulation albeit that the context is markedly different to that for which we know Wellins now. Originally conceived as his commentary on the endangered avian species of Brazil, this three-part composition was set to be a quartet piece with added percussion until Wellins began to think of it as more suitable for a small chamber orchestra with the quartet at its centre and Tony Coe engaged to tackle its orchestration. Coe's writing is spare and often lovely, the string quartet's role relatively subservient to the principal solo contributions, with the late Jacobsen (he died in 2002), Wheeler and Wellins especially eloquent in their extemporised passages. Clearly Wellins is simply the first among equals here, never hogging the solo spotlight but allowing his companions to meld into a mélange of fast-moving lines and sudden decelerations, Wheeler harmonising, amid the bird sounds. While any programmatic piece can set its own posers – how exactly is the music evoking a scene of situation? – there is much here that works satisfyingly well, notably in the stately final part. One is reminded at times of Getz with Focus and I regard that as a compliment. Cue in three beautifully discursive quartet pieces and a fine solo excursion by Jacobsen on ‘In Walked Bud’ from an earlier session and you have quite a package. Lovely music.