This is a terrific jazz set, which as the album title implies is mainly bop inspired. Bob Mintzer is best known for playing with the Yellow Jackets, but here this is an entirely acoustic set. Mintzer plays tenor Sax on all but 2 of the tracks and on those 2 he plays bass Clarinet. One of them being a great duet, with Pianist Steve Kuhn on the trad tune St James Infirmary.
I've played the album a lot since buying it and with musicians of this quality you really can't go wrong of you like modern acoustic jazz, with a bop influence.
A quality session with a stellar support players - Kuhn, Gomez and Gadd - and an exciting tenor leader. BM sounds a bit like Eric Alexander, which is fine by me. The last two tracks - duets between Kuhn and Mintzer (playing bass clarinet) are also particularly fine.
Mintzer unique and raw yet razor sharp, with a defined focus that not only makes it a noteworthy record, it may well raise the bar for jazz overall. Fierce, funky and fun.