• HOME |
• INTERNET RADIO |
• NEWS |
• THE FORUM (New) |
• REVIEWS |
• MYSPACE

Review by John Luciano
There haven't been too many new releases yet this year but, just maybe, Jason Miles can help me overcome my need for that constant 'new release fix'. Miles once again goes with the ensemble/theme recording that he seems to do so well and really has been identified with over the past few years (What's Going On (Marvin Gaye), To Grover With Love (Grover Washington, Jr), Miles To Miles (Miles Davis), Brazilian Nights (Romero Lubambo), A Love Affair (Ivan Lins), Coast To Coast, Celebrating The Music of Weather Report). But, instead of mining the contemporary jazz vein, Miles takes a page out of the Stax playbook; this is some well played and arranged, gritty and greasy soul music; music that can't help but put a smile on your face. I can only imagine the level of energy in the room, last year, at the Berks Jazz Festival, when this session was recorded. As leader and musical director of this outing, Miles puts together another star group of musicians, perfectly suited to make this project come alive: vocalists Maysa, Susan Tedeschi, and Mike Mattison (Derek Trucks Band), saxophonists Karl Denson, Richard Elliot, Dave Mann and Barry Danielian, bassist Bob Babbitt (Funk Brothers and Marvin Gaye), guitarists Reggie Young (Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Ray Charles) and Sherrod Barnes, and trumpeter Tony Kadlek. Personally, I'm a sucker for Maysa and Karl Denson (see my Lunar Orbit review), who contribute mightily to this record. If you were at Berks last year and saw this concert, you're going to want to get this CD. If, like me, you weren't, download it, listen, close your eyes and imagine what it must have been like. Enjoy!