"One of the true unsung heroes of contemporary jazz, Mullins, a keyboardist of diverse skills, has had poor luck with distrbution in the past. Hopefully, in signing with Zebra, Mullins will find more partners for his elegant, funky, bold, and often humorous dance.
This new CD impressively incorporates samba, Latina, and African rhythms with Crusaders-influenced soul. Mullins also impresses with his consistent ability to interact intelligently with the horns. He and tenor saxophonist Wilton Felder capture a vibe reminiscent of Joe Zawinul's "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" on the opener, "Obsession", and Eric Marienthal (soprano and tenor) matches Mullins note for note on the Latin sizzler "Island Girls".
Hollis Gentry's soprano adds eloquence to the laid-back "Wednesday", and Greg Vail's tenor parties hard with Mullins on the one true funk piece, "Bustin' Out".
And on "To Begin Again," Tony Guerrero's trumpet plays along with Mullins' synth-horns.
These are all pretty impressive collaborations, but Mullins is at his best on the urban-flavored title cut, a duet that breaks in the middle for a transcendent solo by violinist Mark Cargill."