I always say, nothing testifies as clearly as a changed life, and alto saxist David Bixler testifies to his own restoration on this collection of 6 originals and traditional spiritual. He testifies with fellow congregants Rogerio Boccato/perc, Jon Cowherd/p and Ike Sturm/b, and even by a cursory read of the song titles, you can detect a spiritual resurgence.
His warm alto lilts with sublime joy on the peaceful “Return,” while “Hope” has his horn give a bit of an elliptical sound to complement Cowherd’s sublime musings. The title track is a calm balm of Gilead, while “Deep Trust” gradually builds up in fervency. A take of the Sunday Morning special “Give Me Jesus” allows Sturm and Cowherd to stretch out in a relaxed leisurely manner, with the entire album an unrushed reflection, gathering strength by streams of water. A nice witness to a re-directed path.