New Yorker Pat Bianchi originally trained as a classical pianist. Then he heard jazz, especially from contemporary organist, Joey DeFrancesco, who became his idol and then his mentor when he decided to switch instruments. DeFrancesco turned him on to Larry Young’s playing and the Coltrane-ish concept of these two have played a major role in Bianchi’s approach. He has been a stalwart of Pat Martino and Lou Donaldson groups for many years and the gnarled veteran guitarist is one of several guests on this album, playing on an up-tempo Bianchi original appropriately called ‘Mr PM’. Peter Bernstein’s title, an ‘up’ treatment of the unhackneyed standard ‘Blue Gardenia’, shows that he’s so much more than a funky 12-bar specialist. Most of the guitar work, though, is by Bianchi’s regular trio member, the underrated Paul Bollenback, who works so well with his leader and their drummer, the constantly improving Byron Landham. Joe Locke appears on three titles and meshes well with the exuberant organist, who excels on most tracks, especially the Miles/Gil Evans title and Wayne Shorter’s lovely ‘Fall’. The one vocal track is somewhat boring compared with the rest of the material.