A brilliant update of the older
Blue Note All-
Stars concept – a set that features a tremendous lineup of the contemporary talents who've helped shape the new sound of the label in recent years – including trumpeter Ambrose
Akinmusire, keyboardist Robert
Glasper, bassist Derrick
Hodge, guitarist Lionel
Loueke, drummer Kendrick Scott, and tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland. The set's produced by
Glasper, and has
all the open, soulful currents of his own great records for the label – but also really draws a lot from the contributions of the other heavyweights too – as they work together on a se of mostly original tunes,
all with shapes and sounds that you never would have expected on
Blue Note in years past. We're huge fans of this direction of the label – and appreciate the way that they've found a way to keep things creatively soulful, but without rehashing the past or resorting to easy gimmicks. There's a depth here that would have made the old school proud – and titles include "Bayyinah", "Cycling Through Reality", "Witch Hunt", "Second Light", "Freedom Dance", and "Message Of Hope" – plus a few shorter tracks dedicated to Bruce Lundvall, the always-optimistic champion who headed the label in the years before his death.