A very different album than the previous Tenderlonious record – but a set that's still overflowing with the soulful sounds that made us love his music in the first place! Last time around, Tenderlonious worked with the 22A Arkestra – a group of labelmates that fleshed out his sound – but here, things are very stripped-down, electric, and keyboard-heavy – kind of a fresh take on fusion for the 21st Century, in a way that pulls the genre through years of rhythm revolutions – as most of the drums and other elements here are programmed, but still with a loose, creative vibe that matches the keyboards. Titles include "Another State Of Consciousness", "Casey Jr", "Hard Rain", "Buffalo Gurl", "Low Tide", "Love You", "Workin Me Out", and "Aesop Thought". CD

A much more electric set than previous releases from Tenderlonious – and a record that's a bit darker, too – as you might guess from the title and cover! Tender handles all his usual funky flute lines, but brings in a fair bit of keyboards too – Fender Rhodes, Yamaha, Arp, Korg, and Roland models – with additional keyboard work from Dave Smith, who also brings in some effects that broaden the sound – almost as if the previous funky jazz elements from the reedman were being filtered through an old school 4AD sort of lens! Some of the songs have titles that mean plenty at the time the album was recorded – and tracks include "Covid Blues", "Forty Nights", "Utopia", "Lockdown Boogie", "Quarantena", "Total Recall", "Moments Notice", and "Maskup/Gloveup". CD

A sweet mix of jazzy flute and other rhythms from Tenderlonious – a player who's definitely earned his chops as one of the key members of the London scene in recent years, but one who's also always willing to step out and try something new on solo projects of his own! This set has plenty of strong flute solos in the lead, but also goes for some more contemporary rhythms aimed at the clubs – a bit as if Tenderlonious were trying to turn out some sort of 21st century version of the mix of soul, funk, and jazz that Bobbi Humphrey did with Larry Mizell back in the day! Titles include "Journey To Thra", "Hold Tight", "Song For My Mother", "Isaac's Theme", "One For The Rhodes", "Neptune's Mood", and "Seti Khola". CD

We kinda want to hate the guy for such a hokey name like Tenderlonious – but this album's a surprisingly great little gem, and one that mixes lots of openly-blown work on flute with some sweet keyboards and other jazzy rhythms! The approach is maybe a bit like the Jason Lindh or Chris Hinze albums of the early 70s – and by that, we mean their better sets – with a flute approach that's less biting than the generation of Herbie Mann and Roland Kirk, using the instrument more in these spacious ways that are pretty darn great – especially against the heavy percussion and basslines of the 22Archestra! There's a few nice moments that almost have a Bobbi Humphrey sort of warmth – and titles include "Togo", "SV Interlude", "Expansions", "The Shakedown", "Yussef's Groove", "Red Sky At Night", and "You Decide". CD