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Scottish based Blue Soul Groove seems all set to become the find of the new smooth jazz year. This pairing of guitarist and leader Neil Warden with sax and flute player John Burgess first came to prominence in 2007 with the release of an excellent self-titled EP. Now, Warden has built on these five original tracks by adding four more to deliver the outstanding new album 'Turn Back The Time'. Warden's musical inspirations come from the likes of George Benson, Nile Rodgers, Larry Carlton and the Crusaders. All these influences can, in one form or another, be found permeating the entire piece and with additional contributions from fellow Scotsmen Ronnie Rae Jr., Bobby Heatlie Sr., Anthony Davie, Gavin Dickie and Cornell Watson, 'Turn Back The Time' is a blissfully easy grooving collection that is big on melodies and strong on hooks.

The mood is set relatively early by the bright breezy and rhythmic 'Sausalito Funk' which is a good example of what this tight unit has to offer. Indeed, despite the fact that Warden hails from Edinburgh, the band seem able to effortlessly deliver what can best described as an authentic west coast groove and, as the tempo stays decidedly hot, the joyous 'Baga River' provides a vehicle to faultlessly demonstrate how Warden's tight playing meshes to perfection with the sax and flute of John Burgess.

Warden's sublime interplay with Burgess is a facet throughout and it's the flute that again makes an impact on 'Out Of The Groove'. This intensely jazzy number really fizzes and although the cool title cut serves to ease down the intensity, the result is just as good. In fact it's when Warden and Burgess find a mellower groove that they really strike gold and none more so than with the chilled out '3-00 am' which reveals Warden in distinctly Paul Brown mode. This textbook slice of smooth jazz is bolstered by cool sax from Burgess and with the bluesy 'Soul Town' the pairing deliver more of the sweet same. Here the synergy that Warden and Burgess routinely generate is at its most powerful and the tune is further enhanced by the featured keys of Ronnie Rae Jr.

The album's one cover is a zesty version of the Crusaders classic 'Put It Where You Want It' which sits in magical contrast to the melodically reflective 'The Blue Glide'. Quite simply beauty personified, this delicious track could well be a metaphor for the entire project whilst elsewhere the lusciously retro tinged 'Zazou' shows off another, yet equally appealing, side to this rapidly emerging collective.

'Turn Back The Time' is a must have CD for contemporary jazz fans everywhere.

Tracklist:

1. Turn Back The Time [4:51]
2. Zazou [4:46]
3. Sausalito Funk [5:08]
4. 3 Am [3:32]
5. Out On The Groove [3:21]
6. The Blue Glide [6:41]
7. Soul Town [4:31]
8. Put It Where You Want It [4:24]
9. Baga River [5:20]