While standards have played a major role on many of Stanley Cowell's albums, the acoustic pianist sticks to his own compositions on Setup. That fact alone makes this 1993 session especially noteworthy, for Cowell is a gifted, if underrated, composer. Cowell's talents as a composer are illustrated by memorable post-bop or hard bop pieces that range from the haunting "Bright Passion" and the mysterious title song to the Thelonious Monk-influenced "Varions." Thankfully, he has some hard-swinging allies to help him bring the material to life, including trumpeter Eddie Henderson, tenor saxman Rick Margitza, trombonist Dick Griffin, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Billy Hart. Cowell was 52 when he recorded Setup, and his supporters continued to hope that eventually, he would become a bigger name in the jazz world. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
