That drummer Reuben Hoch is not a prestigious or prominent jazz figure is the least important factor as to why you should find and purchase this, his third CD. In fact he is a wonderful timekeeper, an interesting improviser, and one who occasionally introduces a piece with little percussion instruments. It is the presence of his chosen bandmates -- the great veteran pianist Don Friedman and bassist par excellance Ed Schuller -- that lifts this session to at least a four-star level. On top of that, the program sports a collection of compositions via many diverse sources, and should keep any listeners' attention riveted from start to finish. Everything here is thoroughly modern, from the by-now standard Sam Rivers penned steady swinging opener "Beatrice" to the brief Ornette Coleman maze melody of "Turnaround" with dizzying call and response stretchings with an extrapolated bridge, and the deep and wide Steve Kuhn classic "Poem for #5" (aka "The Song of Harrison Crabfeathers"). In a more contemporary vein there is Pat Metheny's lurid, mysterious, and yet hopeful modal 6/8 evergreen "Question & Answer," and Brad Mehldau's "Unrequited" in a slight tango and with an uneasy feel with Schuller's bass-vocal midsection. The subtle syncopation these three create is nothing less than amazing, particularly during the three-chord light groove funk original by Friedman, "Flamands," and the free languid ballad written by Hoch, "Ballad for Nori." The drummer's lengthy intro on Wayne Shorter's "Yes and No" is where his estimable, substantial chops are readily heard, leading to this familiar, spirited, and bright melody, with Friedman's reservations on piano making you wonder about its real resolution. A breakthrough recording that should not be ignored or trivialized, it holds all of the wonder and unpredictability a great jazz excursion should offer. It's another triumph in the long career of Don Friedman, and ranks among the very best recordings mainstream jazz has offered in recent times. ~ Michael G. Nastos