Nothing mystifying here – as the album grabs us right from the get-go – with wonderful Fender Rhodes lines from leader Tom Grant, and plenty of soulful tenor from the great Joe Henderson! The album's an overlooked gem from Joe's late 70s years – and the the player is right at home next to Grant's keys – which are sometimes acoustic, and sometimes accompanied by a wordless, humming sort of vocal – which really gives the album some strongly soulful currents! The rest of the quartet features Rick Laird on bass and Ron Steen on drums – and the electric tunes are especially wonderful, and are almost an extension of the vibe of some of Joe's late Milestone albums. Titles include "Caribbean Firedance", "Gazelle", "No Me Esqueca", and "Peddie Has A Point". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from an unsung hero of the soulful jazz underground of the 70s! Although Joe Chambers came to great fame as the writer and drummer behind some of Bobby Hutcherson's best records late 60s, he didn't really ever make that many records under his own name as a leader – and this date is not only one of the few that he cut that way, but also one of the best! Joe's powerful presence on the record is tremendous throughout – and he works with an ultra-hip lineup that shifts throughout the album, and really gives the whole thing an almost Strata East vibe – with work from Cedar Walton on Fender Rhodes, Woody Shaw on trumpet, Harold Vick on flute and tenor, Cecil McBee on bass, and Ray Mantilla on percussion. The whole thing is as uplifting as you might expect – and tracks include "Medina", "The Almoravid", "Early Minor", "Jihad", and "Gazelle Suite". LP, Vinyl record album

Mighty nice work from Leones – an Italian duo, but one whose sound is a perfect fit for the Star Creature label – as they come across here with a really cosmic blend of drums and keyboards, often cut with plenty of jazz! The drums are live at most moments, which really opens up the flow of the music – and gives the whole thing a beating heart that's very different from more clubby material of this nature – a spontaneous groove that really has the keyboards stretching out with some solo moments, instead of just vamping along with the groove! The whole thing's nice and lean, and instrumental throughout – on titles that include "Dawn Of The Day", "The Fugitive", "Refresh & Smile", "Love The Sea You'll Be Free", "Last Sunset In The Savannah", and "The Running Gazelle". LP, Vinyl record album