With Colors of a Dream Harrell breaks with a lot of what he's done over his four decades as a recording artist, as he has exchanged keys for an extra bass-player. The chord of the piano is swapped out for a trumpet, two saxophones and two bass-guitars that, in ever-changing constellations, make up the background for lyrical outbursts.

If there exists such a thing as a picture of old, smug jazz-musicians, Harrell certainly is not a good example of such. Despite his large production and high star he's not a bandleader that only uses the rest of his ensemble as a springboard for himself. In Harrell's Colors of a Dream it smoothly transitions from one musician to the next.

Joining Harrell is 29-year-old Esperanza Spalding on bass and vocals. After a defining first meeting with chelloist Yo Yo Ma through american children TV in the late 80's it became clear to young Spalding that she just had to become a musician. Spalding has collaborated with arists such as Pat Metheny, Stanley Clarke and Donald Harrison. In 2011 she received a Grammy-award in the category "Best new arist".

According to Allaboutjazz, Harrell is "one of the most creative and uncompromising jazz instrumentalists and composers of our time".