Pianist/composer Bill O’Connell leads an excitingly percussive and assertive team of Steve Slagle/sax, Conrad Herwig/tb, Richie Flores/congas, Luques Curtis/b and Adam Cruz/dr through some exciting originals and covers. Of the latter, Slagle’s soprano hovers over the viscerally excitement between the voracious drive of piano and percussion on “Joshua” while a spacious take of “For All We Know” has some velvety tenor sounds hover over O’Connell’s delicate ivories. A hip and bopping “21st Century Blues” features Herwig’s rich trombone, and Curtis’ throbbing bass leads into a percussive avalanche on “Nothing But The Truth.” Some lad back sounds come from “Erik’s Song” before a festive “One Note Mambo” ends this exciting and highly rhythmic collection of tunes. Oh, Yeah!
Savant Records