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Organist Pat Bianchi, playing the Hammond C3 organ (a B3 with minor cosmetic differences), is out with "Back Home". The album features two instrumental groups - one utilizing a "Unity" style instrumentation, referring to the classic Larry Young Blue Note session "Unity" that featured the organist along with trumpet, tenor and drums. Here the group includes Wayne Escoffery playing tenor, Terrell Stafford trumpet and Ralph Peterson drums. A second ensemble features guitarist Gilad Hekselman and drummer Carmen Intorre.

Bianchi has steadily been building a catalog of recordings as leader and sideman and this may be his best. It should immediately be evident upon the take-no-prisoners opener - Coltrane's "Fifth House". Bianchi gets right in to a solid single-note solo building in intensity until a final chord opens the path for Hekselman's thrilling statements. Intorre provides catapulting sounds on the drums that keeps this burner smoking. The guitar trio format continues with a more relaxed "Midnight Mood". The group also performs the balladic "Portrait of Jenny" and an unusually slowed-down and re-fashioned version of "Just In Time".

The trumpet and tenor group prevails upon a stirring treatment of Chick Corea's exotic line "Litha", the airy and melodious title track "Back Home", Ornette Coleman's gnarly "Blues Connotation" and Wayne Shorter's march-like "Hammer Head" as well as a short take of "Fifth House". What really knocks me out about this group is Wayne Escoffery's tenor playing - the best that I have heard from him. He seems to be absolutely on fire during this recording session, in total control and full of well-realized ideas. Stafford has a fine tone at the trumpet and is in great form, really digging in with some nice bars on the title tune. Drummer Ralph Peterson is so good that it is ridiculous - he's one of those cats who can keep time and solo all the while - like a Blakey, Chambers or Victor Lewis. His style is crisp, exuberant and adds a whole dimension to the music. Hearing him punch Escoffery's wild solo with Bianchi adding chordal touches during "Blues Connotation" is a highlight.

Bianchi himself is less prone to use the dynamic effects of the organ as to explore its tonal capacities in single note runs and occasional chording accents, although he does entertain the notion of those thrilling sustained chords on occasion, such as upon "Hammer Head". This album is a winner with variety and chops a-plenty.