A new Murray quartet is always something of an event given the illustrious nature of the precedents, and this latest incarnation does not disappoint. The arrival of Marc Cary and Nasheet Waits to complement long term collaborator Jaribu Shahid has provided a shot in the arm all round, but it is the quality of the composing – above all the richness of the melodies – that makes this album one of Murray’s most immediately appealing. Gospel, a key element of his musical DNA, is a pervasive force and the way the rousing energy of the African-American church suffuses pieces, such as ‘Army Of The Faithful’, while avoiding cliché is compelling. This is down to harmonic subtleties as well as the finesse of guest vocalist Gregory Porter, who exerts impressive control over his oceanic baritone. Macy Gray’s wry flutter on the title track stands in complete contrast but the common denominator in both cases is the guile of Ishmael Reed’s lyric, which has a typically winning blend of cynicism and exuberance. As for Murray’s own solos they bear the mark of an improviser at his peak, relying less on overtone flourish and more on melodic construction, which more than suits an album where themes are as important as variations. Veteran trumpeter-educator Bobby Bradford’s turn on ‘The Graduate’ also pays dividends and brings a worthwhile sense of historical gravitas to a project that reasserts the foundations of African-American culture.