Fine live session by The New York Jazz Quartet, an East Coast version of The Modern Jazz Quartet, although they play with more blues feeling and foundation. The lineup includes Frank Wess on tenor sax and flute, pianist Sir Roland Hanna, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Ben Riley.

The New York Jazz Quartet, an excellent though overlooked band which was active in the 1970s and 1980s, is heard live at Jazzclub Domicile in Munich on this album. Pianist Roland Hanna, the founder of the group, is accompanied by tenor saxophonist Frank Wess, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Grady Tate, who had just replaced Richard Pratt. Aside from an extended workout of Miles Davis' "All Blues," which centers on Wess' soulful tenor sax, the remainder of this performance consists of originals each by Hanna or Mraz. The pianist's exciting "Rodney Round Robin," which he had debuted only two years earlier while recording a studio date under Red Rodney's leadership, contrasts strikingly with his dark, funky "Smelly Jelly Belly"…

A little more throttle would have been welcome on New York Jazz Quartet's cruising-paced Oasis set from 1981. As it is, Roland Hanna on piano, Frank Wess on tenor sax and flute, George Mraz on bass, and Ben Riley on drums take a low-key approach to two Wess originals and four from Hanna. It's a pleasant session, but not one that lives up to the potential of its lineup. The material is respectable and the quartet knows it well enough, but perhaps not sufficiently to transform written parts into a dynamic group effort. Mraz is the standout performer. He is in command of a ready flow of ideas and is captured with a rich, full sound. His duet with Hanna on the pianist's blues "Funk House" is a highlight that finds the pair expertly working the spaces they give each other…

In 1977, the New York Jazz Quartet, a part-time quartet most active from 1975-81, consisted of Frank Wess on tenor, flute and soprano, pianist Roland Hanna, bassist George Mraz and drummer Richard Pratt. The band essentially performed modern mainstream jazz, with the originals of Hanna and Wess consistently challenging the players to come up with fresh statements. On this set, there are four Hanna tunes (including "Time for the Dancers" and the lengthy title cut), plus a pair of Wess compositions. Excellent music that swings but avoids predictability.

During its ten years of existence between 1972 and 1982, the New York Jazz Quartet went through a number of personnel changes, though the one constant was founder Roland Hanna at the piano. This 1977 studio session includes Frank Wess, George Mraz, and a somewhat obscure drummer, Richard Pratt, who evidently didn't record many jazz sessions at all during his rather brief musical career. Like many of the group's efforts, this album sticks exclusively to originals by the band. Wess' flute is the focus of the hard-driving title track, and another of his compositions, the gorgeous ballad "Placitude," features the veteran playing alto flute in alternate choruses with Hanna. The leader contributed the funky "Big Band Henry" and the brisk post-bop "Tee Piece," the latter featuring Wess' hard-blowing tenor sax. The individual pieces written by Mraz and Pratt also measure up to those of the front line.