This good-natured release is a very enjoyable compilation of
funk
-inflected light
jazz
that fits
Rick Braun
's trumpet and flugelhorn around some excellent guitar playing (with lots of wah-wahs on show), steady bass and drums, and supportive keyboards (
Braun
also contributes the keyboard beds, but this aspect of his production tends not to be showy).
and his assorted players (who include
Boney James
,
Jeff Golub
and
Peter White
) have crafted some entertaining melodies that are often built on swaying, sneaky rhythms --
"Cadillac Slim"
for one, and the devious
"Papa Dee"
for another.
's liner notes mention
War
(the band) more than once, and you can certainly pick up that influence this time around. In terms of approach,
kept things loose and
improvisational
for the recording -- no charts, no formalities, just a few ideas and a collaborative impulse that's paid off in the way the album flows together. Nice warm work that sneaks in under the guards. ~ Steven McDonald