Recorded in Munich, Germany, in 1965, the three tracks that make up The Trance come from the same session that produced the invigorating Booker Ervin/Dexter Gordon tenor battles, Settin' the Pace. These remaining tracks feature Ervin's sole tenor on two of his compositions, the blues "Groovin at the Jamboree" and the haunting 19-minute title track, dedicated to the late bassist George Tucker. Also included is the standard "Speak Low," also clocking in at 19 minutes. Admittedly, tracks that long can get tiresome quickly in the wrong hands. Fortunately, Ervin's inspired exploratory tenor flights are consistently stirring, punctuated with piercing blues. The Trance delivers further documentation of Ervin's endless tenor inventiveness. The concrete rhythm section of Jaki Byard on piano and Alan Dawson on drums had worked with Ervin off and on for a number of years, while bassist Reggie Workman could comfortably switch between straight bop and outside playing, easily fitting in with this aggregation. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide
