Naxos Jazz has been producing high quality recordings for several years now. The emphasis has been on lesser-known artists, the players who spend their time in the jazz trenches, backing up the superstars and perfecting their trade. Gordon Brisker and his quintet fit this moniker. The Gift features five unique and colorful voices that seldom get there own chance to shine.

Tunes like Video-Xtra and Let's Get Serious highlight Wayne Shorter's influence in the playing and compositions. In fact, the first four tunes on the album seem to fall into that mold. The first change of feel we get is Catharsis, a Latin twelve-tone piece that could be used as the soundtrack for a television car chase. The ironically titled These Are The Jokes is a pretty ballad in the Mingus style. The dissonance in the horns and the loose rhythm section feel are a shift from the unison and rather crisp feel of the rest of the record. The Gift finishes with the perennial Gershwin standard I Got Rhythm. Roger Frampton's arrangement only hints at the original, then takes off in to an improvised romp at breakneck speed.

The Gift is well mixed; each instrument has detail and nuance. Producer Mike Nock has applied audio compression, especially to the drums. The purpose is to attenuate some of the peaks in volume and avoid distortion. The problem with this technique is its tendency to artificially flatten the entire performance. Sadly, it robs the Quintet of some sparkle.

Ron McClure has been bassist to the best for over thirty years, and as often happens with jazz sidemen, his ability as a composer has gone relatively unnoticed. Naxos jazz has again stepped in and given us the opportunity to hear what we otherwise could have missed. McClure has recruited a band with a mature and disciplined sound. Each of Ron McClure's eight original compositions has a unique personality and style, yet the band keeps a constant sound throughout the CD.

Pink Cloud's optimistic title track features a knowledgeable solo from the leader, followed by Rick Margitza's lovely soprano. His exaggerated straight eighth notes slip through some tricky harmonies with ease. Jon Davis' piano solo is crafty and percussive, highlighted by some great octave tricks. Little Big One, a ballad waltz, recalls the Van Heusen standard Darn That Dream. A wonderfully unique reading of the classic Day By Day is the only standard tune, but has been arranged in such a way that McClure's pen remains evident. Milk and Cookies is an eerie funk feel with a flawless unison line, with each voice clearly audible, kudos to producer David Baker! The Reluctant Traveler is an elusive tune in the Kenny Wheeler style. It features a blurred sense of harmony, where it is difficult to tell where one chord begins and the next starts.

Pink Cloud is highly recommended to those who enjoy modern jazz. McClure and his band of true professionals have produced some wonderful music. It is clear that this band was assembled for this recording, and is not a working band. These are difficult compositions, and while everyone sounds correct, only the composer's solos sound comfortable enough to be from the left brain.