It’s fitting that this album by pianist/keyboardist/leader Matt Savage closes with a funky take of Average White Band’s “Picking Up the Pieces”, because as soon as I heard the opening track I mentally noted that these guys sound like the aforementioned soul stirring team. The rest of the team, comprised of Aaron Gratzmiller/ts-ss, Javier Rosario/g, Evan Carley/b, Zak King/dr and Robbie Pate/voc specialize in a mix of laid back grooves that are easy to digest and tap the toes to. Graztmiller’s soprano works well on a snazzy take of Chick Corea’s “500 Miles High” while his tenor works around the sharp corners of the quirky “What’s A Nightclub”. Savage stirs the jam like Smuckers on “Escalator Music” and digs into a hip staccato’d pulse on the relentless “The Allston Anthem”. Grab a partner!