In case the name isn’t familiar, Gil Evans called Tom Pierson “the best unknown composer I know.” Pianist Pierson’s progressive arrangements for his ever-evolving 15-year-old band are powerfully innovative and unquestionably compelling. Recorded in 1984 and 1989, the charts feature chord structures built on seconds or fourths, rather than traditional thirds. Themed choruses alternate with open-ended solos, offering alert ears new names and sounds to celebrate.
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