Drummer Joe Farnsworth is well known for his dynamic, formidable technique and the elegance with which he shows his swing. There are few who have achieved such an aesthetic. Here he is crossing over into hard bop territory on a record that proposes a complement to the classical sound. "In what direction are you headed?" is not a more complicated, modern record by any means, but it does include elements of an updated, more spacious soundscape with more room for expression. Farnsworth has chosen a quintet formula, with Julius Rodriguez on keyboards, Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar, Immanuel Wilkins on saxophone and Robert Hurst on bass, musicians with a strong sense of direction in modern jazz, an appetite for interaction and an extraordinary clarity of ensemble, who progressively expand the drummer's language into a contemporary setting. The surprise is very pleasant, especially for those already familiar with the swing that Joe Farnsworth has become famous for. This record contains a welcome addition both for the musicians and for all of us who listen to it a few times. Some records should be listened to in a certain moment, because they capture a certain mood. This material, with these musicians, brings the right state of mind at any time.