Chico Freeman Quintet featuring Arthur Blythe - Focus (Contemporary, 1995)
with George Cables, Santi Debriano, and Yoron Israel
Has this ever happened to you? You hear a record, and it isn't what you wanted it to be. (Doesn't matter why. It could be just about anything.) So you're disappointed. Then, time passes and you listen again. And maybe even a few more times after that. And then, suddenly, for some reason, you're actually able to hear the music for what it is, rather than what you expected or hoped it would be. It's as if someone turned on a light. ... That's a nice feeling, finally letting go of those notions and getting to where the music actually is. ... It doesn't always happen, of course. Sometimes, you don't make it, and sometimes the music doesn't make it. But it sure does feel good when that pleasurable understanding/alignment thing happens. The feeling of "Oh, that's it. There it is."
I really dig that.