Originally, the word “salsmagundi” was meant to describe a salad that included various meats with eggs and vegetables in order to display the contrast of each food. Here, drummer Ben Adkins uses it to emphasized the various moods and styles that he can use his wide ranging drum kit for. He teams up with Alphonso Horne/tp-fl, Joshua Bowlus/p-key, Paul Miller/g, Stan Piper/b and Ben Adkins/dr along with some guests for 10 songs that are united by style and swing.
He likes using his brushes, and does well with them with Horne’s joyful tone on “Lucky” while the subtle “Chelsea bridge” has the horn with some tender piano work supplied by Bowlus.” Adkins provides a soft show with his brushes with sweet tones from Horne and Miller on “Let’s Dance” while the team bops hard on “Five in Time” as the drum sticks snap like snow peas. The snare is snared as Bowlus switches to keyboards on the soul’d grooved read of “You and the Night and the Music” and tom toms are rat a tattated on “Fungii Mama.” Piper sashays with the leader on the instrumental take of “When You Smile at Me” and Linda Cole lends her voice to a late night and shadowy read of it that closes the album. Lots of flavors that serve the musical taste buds well.