Germany’s Rolf Thomas from Jazz Thing writes, “This is sometimes reminiscent of the early Return To Forever, sometimes of Iraqis or the US newcomers from Solid Bronze.”
Mezcla
Shoot the Moon
(Ubuntu / weareubuntumusic.com)
Mezcla means something like mixture - and in this case it's a mixture of South American flair, funk with a lot of soul and a certain fusion crunch. Most surprisingly, this tasty mixture comes from Glasgow of all places. The band leader is bassist David Bowden, who emphasizes that Mezcla's focus is on grooves and catchy melodies. Tenor Michael Butcher and trumpeter Joshua Elcock provide animated solos and sharp riffs, keyboardist Alan Benzie contributes mostly pearly Rhodes sounds, while drummer Stephen Henderson and percussionist Steve Forman bring the hot mix to a boil. This is sometimes reminiscent of the early Return To Forever, sometimes of Iraqis or the US newcomers from Solid Bronze.
—Rolf Thomas, Jazz thing 133