A pleasant album by the drummer Michael White, featuring a lot of stars from jazz-funk as Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Gerald Albright, Byron Miller, John Beasley, Doc Powell and many others.

Recorded live at Small's Paradise, New York City on April 7, 1958. This CD should greatly interest all Jimmy Smith collectors, including those who already have the original LP. In addition to four excellent selections (quintets with altoist Lou Donaldson, Tina Brooks on tenor, guitarist Eddie McFadden, either Art Blakey or Donald Bailey on drums, and the organist/leader), there are three previously unissued numbers from the same gig, featuring the quartet of Donaldson, Smith, McFadden, and Bailey. The repertoire is filled with blues and bop standards, and the soloing is at a consistently high and hard-swinging level. Jimmy Smith fans will be pleased.

Continuing the two-part album release, Anomaly Part 2 shifts the mood and showcases its edgier, darker techno.
‘Fidenza’ by Strinner heads in a melancholy direction, layering eerie strings over minimal, deep bass. This is followed by “Voidance’ by two of Steyoyoke’s staple artists Nick Devon & Darko Milosevic, which continues the similar dark, determined tone. Shimmering piano and synths add another level of intrigue. ‘Carnal’ by Dahu then maintains this space, with a sparse, echoing track that lulls a listener into a state of peaceful trance…

For over three decades the Acoustic Alchemy have been at the forefront of contemporary jazz, even if the band’s signature eclectic mix of styles has meant they have never comfortably fit snugly into any one genre; “We’ve had a lot of labels over the years, at the start there were all these names flying around like New Adult Contemporary, New Age music, and then it became Smooth Jazz, but we’ve never really thought about ourselves as being in any one particular genre. We just make music we like.” Says Greg, “At the core it’s always been about one simple concept: the sound of the nylon and steel guitars working together, but that leaves a lot of scope for exploring all sorts of musical ideas.”