Bassist Edie Herrold and guitarist Neil Gordon do excellent work as the leaders, composers, and arrangers for the Herrold/Gordon Small Band, and their mark is on every piece they play. However, from the first notes of their album Think Big, it is obvious that this is a quintet where every member counts. Some of the best moments are during trumpet/fluegelhorn player Paul Finkbeiner's solos, and saxophonist Mark Kieme and drummer David Taylor are essential as well. The music itself is mainstream jazz with a bit of innovation thrown in -- a strong post-bop feel with Latin and modern creative elements occasionally mixed in. Local to Ann Arbor, MI, this quintet has honed their skills for three years and it shows in the fluid arrangements that allows the quintet to sound at times like a much bigger ensemble without being clunky. Songs like "If You Show Me Yours" and "Breathing Room" also show off the advantages of building a pianoless quintet, as the band flows through its songs with an unusual lightness and agility. ~ Stacia Proefrock