Save for a major revamp of "Lullaby of the Leaves," trombonist Conrad Herwig's fifth Criss Cross release, "Land of the Shadows," is a program of originals performed by a hard-swinging sextet that features trumpeter Tim Hagans, tenor saxophonist Ben Schachter and Criss Cross regulars David Kikoski on piano, James Genus on bass and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. A veteran of the Mingus Big Band and Eddie Palmieri's Latin combo, Herwig continues to turn heads by displaying virtuosity of the highest order.
