Weldon Irvine - The Sisters (2024) [Hi-Res]

A collection of previously unreleased material dating from 1979, The Sisters originates from the same sessions as Don Blackman's self-titled GRP debut. Blackman contributes several vocals here as well, but the majority of the performances are instrumentals cut from the same blissed-out jazz-funk cloth as Weldon Irvine LPs like Sinbad, impeccably crafted but missing the righteous fire that galvanizes his finest efforts. Even approached with properly calibrated expectations, The Sisters is something of a disappointment. Its overtly commercial smooth jazz sound has dated poorly, and Irvine's compositions exhibit little of the restless creativity that remains the hallmark of classic LPs like Liberated Brother and Time Capsule. © Jason Ankeny