The In Between (album)

The Allmusic review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album 4 stars and stated "The music rarely reaches avant-garde territory -- instead, it's edgy, volatile hard bop that comes from the mind as much as the soul... The result is a satisfying, cerebral set of adventurous hard bop that finds Booker Ervin at a creative peak".^[3]

Richard Cook and Brian Morton of The Penguin Guide to Jazz gave the album a three-star rating (of a possible four), noting that "unlike some other figures on the [Blue Note] label, Ervin seemed determined to show that there was still considerable mileage in hard bop, without needing to head off into 'the avant-garde'. In consequence, these half-dozen taut originals are every bit as challenging as the free jazz of the time, and commanded exceptional musicianship from a relatively obscure group."^[4]

All compositions by Booker Ervin

1. "The In Between" - 7:43
2. "The Muse" - 7:17
3. "Mour" - 5:59
4. "Sweet Pea" - 5:36
5. "Largo" - 6:27
6. "Tyra" - 7:29

• Booker Ervin - tenor saxophone, flute
• Richard Williams - trumpet (tracks 1–4 & 6)
• Bobby Few - piano
• Cevera Jeffries - bass
• Lenny McBrowne - drums