Veteran drummer Joe Chambers returns to his Blue Note label where he gained fame of vintage albums with Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner and Joe Henderson, to name just a few. Here, as leader, he teams with Brad Merritt/p, Steve Haines/b for some classic sounds as well as modern moods with guest rapper MC Parrain and vocalist Stephanie Jordan.
Of the vocalists, Jordan teams with Merritt for a sultry and sensuous read of “Never Let Me Go” while Parrain gives his urban voice to some hip vibes and drums by the leader on a pulsating “New York State of Mind”. Chambers’ brush work is sublime on the upbeat “You and the Night and the Music” with a rumbling Latin pulse on drums and vibes on “Circles” and the pretty title tune. Chambers delves into the Blue Note songbook as he revisits the Horace Silver chestnut “Ecorah” with a gentle vibe passing the torch to Merritt, while Haines does some nice gliding on the late night ballad “Rio”. Timeless tunes.