Booker Ervin – The Song Book (Analogue Productions, 180g, Stereo)

Of Booker Ervin's nine Prestige albums, this one is special because it presents him exclusively in the contexts of standard songs. Ervin's aggressiveness, his ferocity, his incomparable Texas spaciousness of sound and style, are undiminished. But the compositions provide familiar guideposts by which to track his explorations, which were unfailingly full of adventure and daring. In his only recorded appearance with Ervin, pianist Tommy Flanagan balances the music with his customary elegance. On bass and drums are Ervin's frequent recording companions Richard Davis and Alan Dawson.