Pianist Paul Bley started out as a Montreal-based prodigy who played with such bebop legends as Charlie Parker and Sonny Rollins, but he soon absorbed the new ideas of Cecil Taylor, Lennie Trinstano, and other outliers in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Originally released in 1965 and here remastered, the sound and playing (with bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Barry Altschul) is more subdued than his raucous 1964 album Barrage. But it's nonetheless timeless. The album features several angular tunes written by his then-wife Carla Bley, as well as songs by Paul Bley himself, Annette Peacock, and Ornette Coleman. Often seemingly pushing the band along from his instrument, Bley is at his best on the free-ranging title track, the contemplative opener, and the knotty “Batterie.” Swallow (still on acoustic upright bass at this point in his career) solos often and to particularly fine effect on “Pigfoot,” while Altschul gives as good as he gets on “Crossroads” and “Cartoon.” Bley’s lengthy career is daunting in its sheer bulk of material and range; this is a fine place to start.