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.