My good friend Stro, hipped me to this album. I try to keep my ears to the pulse of the Nu Jazz scene, especially when it’s a Verve release. Brian Blade is a singer/song writer, who I first heard of on Lizz Wright’s Salt album. He produced quite a bit of it and wrote one of my favorite songs from it “Lead The Way”. I actually didn’t know he had anything out personally. When Stro asked me if I heard it, I was shocked and ran off to iTunes for a quick grab. “If I lived in the south I’d play this album every day at sunset”, is what I was informed of. Quite a complement, especially since our take on music is generally very similar. After listening to it several times I have to admit, he was spot on. It’s a beautifully constructed album, from front to back there isn’t a single moment of doubt on the entire thing. It often leaves me day dreaming about everything and nothing in particular. Putting me into the same space as Robert Glasper’s Canvas album, or Curtis Mayfield’s Roots. “Mercy Angel” is a perfect lead in to the album, but please do not stop there. Dig in and enjoy the entire project, listen, then listen again. Discover what it feels like to sit on the back porch looking out over God’s creation as the sun dips below the horizon and the last light of the day escapes out of sight.