This is the best Yellowjacket recording in years. The best since "Live Wires". Bob Mintzer, William Kennedy and Russell Ferrante show their instrumental muscles. This is not, I REPEAT not smooth jazz to which this band has unfortunately been associated with. Largely an inaccurate depiction. Here they are firmly steeped in jazz. The mood adult. The pieces save for one, expansive. The ballads are all dark, rich, filled with an emotional maturity and poignancy. There's a sense of longing on these ballads. William Kennedy is a propulsive dynamo on the "up" pieces in this recording. This recording would do much toward eliminating the aforementioned association with smooth jazz. All are fine instrumentalists and it shows here. There is really no coasting at all in this recording. No lush string arrangments or over production. Just a group at the height of it's powers. Bob Mintzer has been welcome change over the more pop based Marc Russo. He has a broad aural range, big bodied tone and a fine improvisational sense. Russell Ferrante shines on acoustic piano. Jimmy Haslip is his usual strong self here. His bass sings when it has to or settles back into "the pocket". If you've missed the last few recordings because you felt that the quality had fallen off, this is the one to pick up because the group is back in fine form.