A brilliant second set from Jose James – and that's saying a lot, given that his debut was already a classic in our book! The sound here is a little more full, and a little more confident – a magical blend of James' raspy vocals with some jazz and funk-inflected rhythms – never overdone, and all put together with the kind of poise and depth that's made Jose an artist to watch since his very first single! There's a positive, progressive vibe to the whole record – the kind of excitement we only feel grabbing us once in a blue moon – and the sound is expanded a bit from the laidback combo of the first record, thanks to production help from Flying Lotus, Mitsu The Beats, and others. But James' vocals are always center stage in the mix, no matter what the setting – and titles include "Lay You Down", "Touch", "Promise In Love", "Warrior", "Made For Love", "Code", "Save Your Love For Me", "Detroit Loveletter", and "Beauty". ~ Dusty Groove
Great work from a really unique singer – a vocalist who's equally well-balanced between jazz and soul, and who uses that balance to great advantage throughout this well-crafted LP! Brenda's vocals and inflection definitely show a strong side of the understanding of the nuances you'd use in jazz – but she also works in tunes that are more soul-based, although still with a nice degree of complexity – instrumentation that changes from track to track, and which has way more going on than just beats and keyboards too. Tracks include "Marrow", "Catch Me Falling", "The Core", "Little Prayer", "Flying Lessons", "Return To Sender", and "Your Light". ~ Dusty Groove
A wonderful wrapping of reeds – the alto of Aram Shelton and tenor and sopranino saxes of Larry Ochs – set up here as a unified spirit in the lead of the group, but always ready to break out with these bold individual moments too! The record's got a mixture of rasp and tunefulness that speaks to the strong legacy of both players – sometimes swinging, sometimes a bit more free – with work from Kjell Nordeson on bass, and either Mark Dresser or Scott Walton on bass, depending on the tracks. Titles include "Continental Drift", "Slat", "Switch", "Another Night", "The Others Dream", and "Test Shots". ~ Dusty Groove
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