The golden voice of Earth, Wind and Fire alumnus Philip Bailey is caught up in a jazzy mood on this album that will satisfy fans of R&B and hip jazz. Bailey brings in the best of the best on this session, including the new generation of jazzers in tenor saxist Kamasi Washington, keyboardist Robert Glasper, trumpeter Christian Scott as well as jazz vets Steve Gadd, Christian McBride and Chick Corea. Any complaints so far?
Didn’t think so. And just wait until you year Baily teamed with a Hugh Masakela sounding Scott on the Afro pop read of “Stairway to the Stars” making sure you check for goose bumps on the back of your neck. Steel drums and kalimba make for a richly exotic “Brooklyn Blues” and Washington taps into his inner Coltrane while Bailey is celestial with a choir on the “Sacred Sounds”. Some hip R&B soul with wah wahing guitar is a treat on “Once In A Lifetime” and of course Bailey himself is in gloriously sweet voice as on the soft “You’re Everything” and lovely title track, and then throw in a revv’d up take of the song from “Billy Jack” and you know you’re dealing with something fierce here. Moods ranging from soothing balms of Gilead to passionate preaching from the pulpit make this a joy for fans of EWF’s R&B grooves, lush and uplifting ballads as well as jazz fans that want some groove sauce in their jazz plate. A real winner.