Mentored by Wynton Marsalis, trumpeter Maurice Brown delivers an impressive and hip album that shows him in a variety of logical settings, which figures, since he’s been a sideman for the likes of John Legend to Santana.
Here, he sizes up with a core team of Kris Bowers/p-key, Solomon Dorsey/b, Joe Blaxx/dr, Josh Connolly/g and Chelsea Baratz/ts-voc along with some cameo guests. The band does some CTI-styled soul jazz gets hip on “On My Way Home” and funky with some hot trumpet work on “Intimate Transitions.” Some earthy R&B grooves has Brown on muted horn with a rich tenor by Baratz on “Stand Up” while some brassy staccato works get snappy on a Latin cooker “Moroccan Dancehall.” Hints of Joe Sample smoothness sizzle on the mellow “Capricorn Rising” and some guest vocals by Talib Kweli and J.Ivy make the sleek synth of “Stand Up” and Soul Train slick “Destination Hope” meld swing and dance. You’ll like this guy!