VERDICT | SUCCEEDS DESPITE SLEEVE'S EFFORTS TO THE CONTRARY

The cover of this album spells trouble. It looks like something John Pizzarelli, the jackass who does the Foxwoods commercials, would release. In fact, it's so dubious that this CD almost didn't make it into anyone's CD player. But it did (mainly because highly underrated saxist Teodross Avery is on it), and we're all the better for it. Ray Marchica, a freelancer who's drummed with James Brown, Little Richard, Earl Klugh and famous albino trailblazer Johnny Winter, has dropped a rock solid jazz/rare groove album. Throughout the session, a mix of re-jiggered standards and Marchica originals, the leader's frenetic drumming is right in front, and performances by Avery, bassist Lonnie Plaxico and guitarist Rodney Jones are pretty much flawless for the material. It's more pre-pop Wes Montgomery than latter-day John Scofield, for any of you who are still smarting from the stillborn lite-funk baby the latter laid with Medeski, Martin and Wood. Here's some good-time BBQ jazz with some real depth, swing and innovativeness to it. And yeah, if need be, you can safely drop it on a Sunday.

— Joe Keohane
June 2005
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