In the first decade of the 21st Century, Ropeadope launched a series of albums featuring sessions that brought together leading talents associated with a particular US city that aimed to capture something of the spirit of place in their collective musical musings: The Philadelphia Experiment (2001) was followed by The Detroit Experiment (2003) and The Harlem Experiment (2007). And then nothing more was heard on the theme, until Greg Spero's The Chicago Experiment emerged in 2022.

This follow-up release, drawing from the same sessions, again features a mixture of ‘mellow balladry and electric fusion’, as Jazzwise's reviewer described that first iteration. But where the initial volume was tightly edited (11 tracks, 45 minutes), the successor (eight tracks, 54 minutes) gives more space to the participants to create an ambience and then stretch out and, occasionally, explode. Opener ‘Under Earth: Expansion’ is built on a pumping, angsty piano line from leader Greg Spero; ‘Beauty’, featuring Joel Ross’ vibraphone embellishments, has a lush, feline quality. The Miles-ish ‘Like Him’ has an In A Silent Way feel. The lengthy closer ‘Hope Or Less’ builds in intensity across its 10-minute running time. It adds up to a really satisfying, immersive set.