Cunliffe creatively uses his dense arsenal of arranging talents on this project based on Oliver Nelson’s Blues and the Abstract Truth, a landmark jazz recording from 1961. Nelson composed with a beautifully organic sophistication, Blues... being his most evolved example. Cunliffe, rather than simply replicating a masterpiece, chooses to to project this musical light through a different prism, one that is equally foward-looking and original. Bill’s originals, “Port Authority” and “Mary Lou’s Blues” (dedicated to his teacher Mary Lou Williams) add to the party. The jazz sextet features Kye Palmer, trumpet, Rickey Woodard and Barclay Moffet on saxophones, Anthony Fung on drums and Sezin Ahmet Turkmenoglu, bass.