This new quintet lead by Gerry Hemingway has evolved from Hemingway’s long standing compositional platform that began in 1985 with the recording of “Outerbridge Crossing” and has enjoyed numerous incarnations while retaining its penchant for an integrative compositional/improvisational ensemble approach. What that adds up to is a compositional practice that has refined a way to frame the individual member’s unique sonic, interpretive and improvisational vocabulary with pieces that are detailed, structured and rich with content. The character of the music is multi-faceted, from coloristic subtlety to visceral intensity, sometimes the groove is deep and other times the rhythmic interplay is elaborate and mischievous. The group mixes well established players with some of the most exciting emerging talent of the New York scene including multi-reedist Oscar Noriega, guitarist Terrence McManus who join Hemingway’s long time associates, Ellery Eskelin on tenor saxophone and Kermit Driscoll on both acoustic bass and electric bass guitar. The material from this CD mixes new settings of two previously recorded quintet works with seven new works. For those unfamiliar with the legacy of Gerry Hemingway’s extraordinary quintet work, now spanning twenty-six years, “Riptide” will serve as a wonderful introduction, and for those who have followed his past work will be more than delighted with this new quintet setting. With intelligent and insightful notes by writer Brian Morton and meticulously produced by Hemingway this richly detailed recording is a must-have CD to any collector of today’s creative music.