Pike's Groove
by Scott YanowVibraphonist Dave Pike has recorded in a variety of settings through the years. His Criss Cross date is one of his finest straight-ahead outings, a quartet session with pianist Cedar Walton, bassist David Williams, and drummer Billy Higgins. Pike's style is somewhere between Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson, while sounding fairly distinctive, and he is heard in top form on such numbers as "Big Foot," "Ornithology," and his own "Reflections in Blue." Highly recommended.