Average White Band - Greatest & Latest (2005)

Besides an excellent name, what Average White Band has going for it is timeless, grown-up funk. The trouble with Latest & Greatest, though, is that it cinches together a myopic sample. While the disc doesn't lack for length (16 tracks) or talent (in addition to the usual lineup, Chaka Khan and Daryl Hall step in for a couple of groovy joints) or special features (a bonus DVD is included), it's limited by the era it culls, 1989 to 2003. The AWB calling card "Pick Up the Pieces," presented in a "NuJazz" but still deeply satisfying mix, perks ears as early as track two, but by the time we reach "Do Ya Really" does anybody remember "Do Ya Really?" we can't help wishing the door to this best-of had been propped open wider, allowing entry to such earlier AWB staples as "Cut the Cake" and "Queen of My Soul." That said, somebody involved in this disc's sequencing was onto something: Midway through, when mild dissatisfaction is about to set in, the powerful grooviness of "Oh Maceo" lookout comes along to save the day. There's a track to prove that when you fortify the funk, all is forgiven. --Tammy La Gorce