I’m not going to mess about here. Straight off the bat, this is JTQ’s best album in 10 years or more. Although it’s as Funkily diverse as usual, covering all eras, there is here, in reality, a new sound. This time the album features an interesting blend of Trumpet and Flute and (I hope it doesn’t sound a cliché me saying this) the Trumpet certainly does conjure up the atmosphere of vintage mid-70’s Donald Byrd. Also, making a difference, this CD has James playing Piano and Fender Rhodes alongside the familiar Hammond Organ creating all kinds of moods and textures.

The album is so diverse that I’m surprised it works so well, but it does. This particular album is extremely Jazzy but has the familiar trademark JTQ Funk, it has songs written in odd time signatures, a jazz bossa and even features a couple of hard-as-nails, late-70’s sounding Jazz Funk Fusion winners which will surely challenge the most fleet of foot in the right clubs. Two Funk tracks feature the singer, London networker-supreme and club-runner Corinna Greyson, and she does a fantastic job.

Perhaps this CD will teach a few (or a lot) of the new breed of Funk bands a valuable lesson in making a consistent album. And if proof be needed, here is evidence that, with all these new pretenders out there snapping at his heels, he’s still the daddy!