4.0 out of 5 stars
Fluid Energy, December 20, 2011
Here's another great re-issue of Ali's group recordings from the 1970s. Ali's drumming is fluid and energetic, so that even the ballads have a certain drive to them. He seems to glide over and around the pulse, never explicitly stating it. If you need someone hammering on the 'one' every measure, you might feel lost. But if you're willing to be set free, Ali will take you for a ride. The songs have some melodic heads you might expect from 50s and 60s bop/modern, and then open up into adventurous solos.
While his quartet's New Directions in Modern Music remains my favorite, I like this one a little better than the Quintet disc. I'd consider all three essential listening for the adventurous ear. There's structure here on Moon Flight, but not rigidity, so it can give the impression of being formless.
Amazon's current price to download the entire album in mp3 format is less than $6. Good luck finding these albums on vinyl at anywhere near that!
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