Gary Versace is one organist who plays music far beyond soul-jazz, moving into a realm of progressive sounds that approach the visionary
Larry Young and rival peer
Larry Goldings. With saxophonist
Donny McCaslin and electric guitarist
Adam Rogers,
Versace is able to buoy their melodies with a visceral yet vibrant underpinning. He is fond of rhythms removed from 4/4, and the complex moods displayed during "Dangerous Land" and the quirky "Pinwheel" suggest that
Versace will never play it safe, especially in the company of individualist musicians like
Rogers and
McCaslin. Though mostly in neo-bop modes,
Versace also favors light Latin or Mediterranean rhythms, and even a tone parallel to the music of
Duke Pearson on this stellar effort that stands head and shoulders apart from groove organ combo music. ~ Michael G. Nastos