by Scott Yanow
Dave Samuels' release offers music that is often more pleasant than it is challenging, but Samuels has an original voice on the marimbas and vibes, the groove tunes are generally quite enjoyable (particularly the calypso "Cara Linda" and the tricky "Knots"), and the leader's solos are uniformly strong. With the help of the Yellowjackets' rhythm section (keyboardist Russell Ferrante, electric bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer William Kennedy) and some guests, this pop/jazz effort is reasonably satisfying and one of Dave Samuels' best solo sets.