Review by Ken Dryden

While many of the artists featured as leaders on Steeplechase are up-and-coming American instrumentalists deserving of wider attention, tenor saxophonist Kim Bock is a veteran home-grown Danish musician, though like his labelmates he merits greater world-wide exposure, too. With an international group including Canadian trumpeter David Smith , Australian bassist Adam Armstrong , and American drummer Peter Retzlaff , Bock delivers the goods in this live set, with five potent originals that allow plenty of room for stretching out without losing focus. The extended opener, "The Plus Side," features powerful solos by Bock and Smith with the rhythm section taking it out in an understated manner. The brooding "Pink" is a haunting ballad, while "Secrets," a piece previously recorded by the saxophonist, becomes more abstract compared to its studio version. The conclusion is "Tumble," in which Smith echoes Bock's lines just a few bars behind him. Recommended.