The second album by The Metropolitan Bopera House, which would later evolve into the Danny D'Imperio sextet, features eight obscure hard bop compositions by Hank Mobley, George Shearing, J.R. Monterose, Duke Pearson, Walter Davis, Jr., Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Drew and Donald Byrd. The quintet -- drummer D'Imperio, trumpeter John Marshall, altoist Gary Pribek, pianist Tardo Hammer and bassist Dave Shapiro -- all play quite creatively in the hard bop idiom, and there are many exciting moments on this spontaneous yet well-planned straightahead session.