This new Richard Maltby Octet is designed primarily for the smarter niteries and hotels, the Las Vegas-type lounges, college concerts – in fact, any place where people would rather listen than dance. Writing for such a versatile group, Maltby has more of a chance to experiment with new sounds and to perform on trumpet, chimes, celesta, vibes, glockenspiel and mellophone. This multifold activity, in addition to his conducting, has made him “the busiest man on the bandstand.” His full-bodied arrangements and melodic imagery remain sweeping, forceful and positive, resulting in a solid sound and a variation of styles. The ‘Potent Eight’ are indeed a versatile crew, equally adept at displaying a slashing drive and rich rhythmic fluidity. At other times it can be surprisingly gentle, with melancholy grace and plaintive charm. The four reed sidemen play 21 instruments between them, all with precision and spirit, with a rhythm section beautifully blended and constantly crisp and mobile. Maltby, of course, has not entirely forsaken the big band; he still uses it on recordings, college proms and other “dancing” situations. The Octet will serve as a nucleus of the big band – a sort of “band within a band.” In the meantime, the ‘Potent Eight’ are racking up raves wherever they appear, with performances, as this album will attest, that are consistently melodic, inventive, fresh and thoroughly enjoyable. The improvisations flow and build right from the start in a winning interpretation of Victor Herbert’s Kiss Me Again, which pits reeds against chimes, backed by up-tempo rhythm. Isotopes And Isobars, a sparkling excerpt from Maltby’s ‘Nuclear Suite,’ offers a baritone sax trio while Dick counters on both celesta and vibes. The latter two instruments are again featured in the tricky and enticing Skulduggery, which is dominated by Ralph Patt’s expressive guitar. Joe Lanza is the alto soloist, next, in the haunting Maltby mood piece Birth Of A Melody, followed by My Gal Sal decked out in the latest fashion with tenor sax, guitar and Dick’s dapper celesta-trumpet stints acting as escorts. Flip, the closer, intros with a driving bass, like the TV private eye skeins, but develops into a flashy free-for-all between vibes and reeds. The Side Two opener, On Stage Blues is a swinger, projected with passion and thrust. Ode To Keats, next, is a romantic moody item by pianist-composer, Jack Quigley. Then, an Octet-styled Chiu Chiu sallies forth in sizzling abandon as Maltby doubles on vibes and trumpet. Bass saxes and a clarinet-trumpet unison take turns in covering the waterfront in Fog Horn Blues, while, Grand Slam, which follows, contains some of Maltby’s most striking instrumentation – celesta, clarinets, percussion. Another Jack Quigley composition, Left Over, offers a potent finale for the ‘Potent Eight’ with a trumpet, reeds and rhythm outburst. The Richard Maltby Octet Richard Maltby trumpet, vibes, celesta, chimes Joe Lenza reeds Art Femenella reeds Lou Lindholm reeds Buzz Brauner reeds Ralph Patt guitar Peter Chivily bass Jimmy Campbell drums