The ultimate soul & jazz revue

"On the Ultimate Soul & Jazz Revue, Koppel returns to his roots, having listened mostly to soul and gospel music as a teenager ... [The band] burst out on a ferocious version of the familiar Buddy Miles' 1970 tune "Them Changes" down more in the vein of King Curtis than Hendrix, which must have made Purdie comfortable, having played on the historic King Curtis Live at Fillmore West sessions from 1971. Then they expertly blend jazz and funk on a Fender Rhodes-fueled rendition of Dizzy Gillespie's Afro-Cuban classic "Manteca," naturally a highflyer for Brecker. There are moments when you think you're hearing a Brecker Brothers album or a Brecker album as he is so prominent ... Their Summer Jazz set closes on a funky note with an organ-fueled rendition of Sly & The Family Stone's 1968 classic, "Sing a Simple Song," that has Koppel channeling his inner David Sanborn, Hemmer offering a greasy B-3 solo and Randy reverting to his Brecker Brothers swagger on his trumpet solo".

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