"There's slow blues, fast bop, one killing drum feature, brilliant
playing by Branford and Blanchard (separately and in tandem) and even
political commentary (on "The Devil's Ringtone). Yet it's the handful
of smart, fresh compositions and the authority with which Watts
marshals his troops that makes this notable reintroduction to a talent
we thought we already knew." -Billboard Magazine January 2009
"The
latest album from the magisterial drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts features a knock-your-socks-off all-star quartet with Terrence Blanchard and
Branford Marsalis as the trumpet/saxophone front-line and bassist
Christian McBride acting as lynchpin. Watts is a one-man percussion
ensemble, shoe-horning a loose-limbed pulse into the tightest of
time-keeping. The tension created is truly propulsive, whirling through
blues, contemporary swing and a beautiful ballad." -Financial Times January 2009
