Hooray for Wayne Shorter! He did some of his best work with this group. Orbits and Dolores have some of his trademark symmetrical fourths-oriented melodies and Herbie acting like the third horn that he truly is. Freedom Jazz Dance and Gingerbread Boy sound like originals here; the latter has a very creative treatment given to it. Wayne's other piece, Footprints, gives the rhythm section a great chance to demonstrate how they did turn jazz upside down with their psychic interplay and continual inventiveness.
However, I would like to give special recognition to Circle, which is a work of art in itself. They have raved about it in liner notes, from Miles's spare, perfectly balanced melody interpretation to Herbie's solo that was so rich in classical impressionistic vocabulary and pacing that I bet even he was surprised with himself. This performance alone gives this work, and this quintet, a place in one of the most widely imitated and never duplicated groups in all of jazz.
