Reviewed by Paul Poulton

As job titles go 'solo jazz gospel flautist' is quite a mouthful, and thankfully North Carolina-based Richard Hegens Jr lives up to it pretty well. His small but tight team of Anointed Ones give Richard a jazz/funk platform on which to weave his flute tapestry. Timothy Britt on drums lays down inventive but steady patterns and avoids the self indulgence that is a part of some jazz drummers repertoire. Robert L Hall plays bass and adds to the live feel with some appetising basslines. The recording is bristling with the energy of some good musicians bouncing off one another's playing. The sixth song, "Whadda Fren" (which I think to my stiff English way of speaking can be interpreted as What A Friend), takes hold of a couple of chords and stays with them yet never does the groove become tiresome. "Amazing Grace" receives a similar treatment. These are mostly instrumental tunes, they are not as slick as something Quincy Jones would produce who would probably add strings to fill the upper register and add a little reverb to the proceedings, but they do have enough raw edge coupled with creative improvised skill to keep me engaged. A couple of the songs feature the vocals of LaTasha Crawford who has a soulful voice yet I could imagine her being able to handle classical music too. Piano and percussion are also added to the combo, painting a landscape which breathes, has space and plenty of interest. Richard is also part of the US Military and has performed to soldiers worldwide. He certainly plays with accurate timing and flair, a neat combination.

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