snobb Finally, the debut album of a band that was originally formed in Woodstock in the mid 70s! Founded by vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, the band then played some gigs for a couple months and later was disbanded while all the members started/continued quite successful solo careers. Looking from now, the band re-united in its original line-up for a Japanese tour in 2009 and could be called a "super-group".

Possibly the two best-known band members are bassist Tony Levin (King Crimson,etc) and jazz drummer Steve Gadd, but keyboardist Warren Bernhardt and guitarist David Spinozza are both respectable jazz musicians as well. Musically the album is based mostly on Mainieri's compositions coming from the 70s - melancholic, sometimes a bit nostalgic, with some Latin flavors and an atmosphere of fusion from the 70s. Their success is based on a combination of vibraphone based groovy sounds mixed with nylon-string guitar and the modernity of Levin's bass Stick.

This album doesn't present new ideas or sounds, and obviously that wasn't the concept at release. It greatly represents a nostalgic (Latin) fusion (in moments similar to Corea's early 70s albums but far less technically skilled)- with accent on atmosphere, not virtuosity. Really pleasant and a bit sentimental listening for those with nostalgia to sunny days of early 70s when they were young...