Remember that hit by David Frishberg “I Want To Be A Sideman”? Well trumpeter/pianist/arranger/composer Peter Welker and fellow leader Todd Tribble had and have that gig, along with all of the guys on this rock steady swinger of an album. You’ve heard the likes of the guys accompanying this album, like Bill Champlin/voc-B3 (who had his own hot group, The Sons of Champlin), Tom Scott/ts (for years with Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express), King Crimson bassist Tony Levin as well as Ruben Valtierra/B3, Morris Acevedo/g, Steve Steinberg/ts and a host of others. Weler and Tribble mix and match the bands in size and mood, and the result is like turning your dial on the coolest Sirius station you’ve ever subscribed to.
It sounds like a smoking night at the B aked Potato with some soul stirring on “Plugged In” with deep grooves and soloing by Steinberg and Martin, and you’re just waiting for Joe Tex to jump on stage for a funky “Rippin and Runnin’. Champlin sounds like he’s with his old band on the finger snap ping “You’re Gonna Let In Happen” while the team gets swampy over Cluff Hugo’s bass line on “ A Little Pepper.” Suave and mellow bop has Greg Johnson’s tenor blowing smoke rings on “Creepin’ Up” and the band taps into its inner Ambrosia for “Sadie’s Song”. Welker and Levin get into a deep read of the kind of blue classic “Blue In Green” and the timbales fly as Valtierra, Steinberg and flutist Matt Eakle slither around “Cielo Azul”. Each song makes you wish there were lyrics so you could sing along, they’d even make YOU sound good!