A wonderful testament to the soul and sensitivity of the music of John Hicks – a loving tribute to the late, great pianist – handled here by some of his closest jazz associates! Even without Hicks' compositions, the group would be great enough – but given that John's musical legacy lives on in the songs, there's a deeper sense of feeling here that really unites the music – a rich extension of that flowing, spiritual side of his music that first flowered most strongly in the 70s, then continued to please us for years in a series of excellent later albums. Elis Wood-Hicks delivers some great work on flute throughout the set – and other players include Craig Handy on tenor and soprano, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, and core rhythm from
Larry Willis on piano, Curtis Lundy on bass, and Steve Williams on drums. Willis' later tones on the keys are a wonderful complement to Hicks' tunes, and Lundy's bass is always an element that makes a set great – and continues that legacy here. Titles include "Mind Wine", "After The Morning", "Blues In The Pocket", "Single Petal Of A
Rose","Avotcja", and "Yemenja".