Bill Cunliffe is one of the best hard bop pianists and arrangers on the scene today. This is one of his earliest CDs of a project done in collaboration with Brazilian artists. Sadly, it is a CD quickly going out of print. Bill always swings great, he is inventive, harmonically subtle, always balances his CDs with a thoughtful variety of styles, and always thoroughly understands the style and its proponents. All of his projects are innovative and no two exactly the same. I have all his CDs including the newest Latin Band which is now, I understand, number two on jazz radio in the nation. The only reason I give this CD four stars is because some of his newer work is even more impressive. Check him out!