In the past decade saxophonist Brandon-Lewis has done excellent work with his trio both on stage and in the studio, and this duo with drummer Chad Taylor, a hero of the Chicago scene, sees him rise manfully to a challenge away from his regular band. While a salient reference might well be the memorable meeting of John Coltrane and Rashied Ali, there is an acknowledgement of the saxophone legend's oeuvre in a much broader sense by way of compositions that use the likes of ‘Lonnie's Lament’ and '26-2' as points of departure. Yet Brandon Lewis and Taylor roam around history with joyous abandon to contextualise further, showing one of Coltrane's origins by a startling segue of ‘Impressions’ and Charlie Parker's ‘Bebop’, which channels the molten energy of each all the while imposing a fresh ruckus on the already febrile original themes. The whole album is a brilliant panorama of rhythm and texture that moves from Taylor's African-tinged percussion, with plenty of heady 6/8, to the soothing ripples of mbira, which form a tranquil space in which Brandon-Lewis can show his more introspective side. Those not familiar with his trio will be struck by his more strident approach elsewhere; weighty, flinty tone which is boulder-like in the bass register; clockwork time when playing tense ostinatos; smeary distortion of certain notes to create a ‘backwards scratch’ that summons a virtual DJ. In Taylor he has an equally expressive, adventurous partner, and their meeting is an inspired one.