This unexpected trio got together in 1987 for this recording which is happily re-issued so we can hear the inventive interplay of these three musicians in their youth. While Lewis and Zorn are known for their adventurous work, Frisell stays a little closer to the mainstream, but here he is joined halfway by the trombonist and the alto saxophonist as they weave variations on hardbop tunes that never quite became standards, by Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley, and the lesser-known pianist-composers Sonny Clark and Freddie Redd.

The interpretations of these 1950s compositions are creative in that they avoid empty bebop mannerisms, but riff, instead, on the melodies, rhythms and harmonies of the originals, while giving free rein to imagination. Historical accuracies be damned Frisell's fuzz-toned reiteration of the chords of "Funk in Deep Freeze," seem to say, while Lewis and Zorn blow to their fancy's content � an example of the impishness and irreverence that lets the love for these pieces shine through in a way that a straight rendering never could.

True to the hard bop principle, this is bluesy music that has no pretensions, but is about the grit and gearwork of the soulful music imperative. And while one might have suspected that this bass-less and drum-less trio would sound rather sparse and bare, the funky groove the three establish and take off with in the title track established that limits can be transcended with the tasteful and judicious awareness of lines, and that's what this disc is: the weaving of three voices that have meaningful things to say about the compositions of the hardbop masters. To get this point across amply and perhaps to reference the phenomenon of reissues with alternate takes, there are alternate takes of four of the tunes, with interesting results that provide insights into the working of the minds of these musicians who have made indelible contributions to jazz over the last 20 years.