On the front cover is a completely uncharacteristic turn for an ECM cover, reflecting this album's exciting and gritty urban grooves. On the back shows pristine skyscrapers in the night. The point is, this album is city music, and a good bunch of it.
Abercrombie rocks through these pieces with urgency and curiosity, while Jan Hammer, Mr. Miami Vice/Mahavishnu, adds to the urban excitement with his organs and keyboards, as does Brecker with his characteristically emotional tenor work. DeJohnette is a relentless tour de force, and supports the cast well. Abercrombie's compositions (and one of Hammer's) are excellent impressionistic representations of bustling life/unsettling peace of the city at night, but you can just consider this album a good jam. It may be sloppy at places, but you know they are into it, keeping it real, and that's good enough... and play this while driving downtown at midnight and you'll see why I gave this 5 stars.