Bassist Reggie Fields, aka THE REAL SHOOBEEDOO, was a key figure in the Detroit jazz scene. While living in the Motor City he performed with Pharoah Sanders, and from the late 1970s into the early '80s he worked alongside Sun Ra. He also had close ties to the Afro-centric label and artist collective TRIBE, leaving his name on important TRIBE sessions such as Phil Ranelin's "The Time Is Now." and Ranelin & Wendell Harrison's "The Time Is Now." The live lineup here is seriously stacked: drummer Tani Tabbal, famed for his work and recordings with Roscoe Mitchell and Sun Ra; Robert Barnes, known for playing with Donald Byrd; and Detroit pianist Earl Van Riper, who has performed with countless artists including Dinah Washington and Wes Montgomery — a credit list alone that raises expectations. Hearing this crew take on standards is a real treat. The flow from the call-and-response with the audience on "Do You Call That Friendship" into the funky vocal turn of "Oo Shoobee Doo" (sample_1) and on to the breathtakingly beautiful "Crazy She Calls Me" (sample_2) is irresistible. A superb live album that captures the warmth of the room in a way only a live record can. (Original Japanese text by AYAM)