Originally recorded in 1995, reedman Steve Giarratano opted not to release this jazz recording with guitarist Bill Huntington, bassist Jim Markway and drummer Johnny Vidacovich. He did, however, hold onto the high-grade cassette given to him by Sound of New Orleans’ Gary Edwards, who later lost his masters via Katrina, making Giarratano’s coveted cassette the only available source to resurrect this.

21 years later, the proceedings sound remarkably fresh and draw from a wide swath of standards. To vary the tones and textures, Giarratano alternates on alto and soprano sax, clarinet and flute. Interestingly, Huntington, normally regarded for his bass acumen, adds a feathery, eloquent touch to his guitar solos.

The opening track, the rhythmically quirky “Freedom Jazz Dance,” feels the most modern as Giarratano’s passages are answered by Huntington and Markway. Introspective compositions “Moody’s Mood” and Coltrane’s haunting “Equinox” are balanced with festive tunes like the Brazilian-flavored, flute-fueled “Carioca” and “Blue Bossa” for a perky change of pace.

The last two tracks find Giarratano bringing it home with Louie Armstrong’s “Struttin’ With Some Barbecue” and the Original Dixieland Jass Band’s “Clarinet Marmalade,” still in a sleek quartet format, of course, and not the boisterous Dixieland presentation. As evidenced by this sleeper of an album, Giarratano’s playing seems limitless, which was the whole point after all.