Joe Locke has a personal voice, fluency to spare and a sound that shimmers with the metallic soul of Milt Jackson. His live performances are vibrant, outgoing and full of character, but so far, his recordings fall a bit short. This CD doesn’t really break the mould, though Locke is on form, turning up the heartbreak on ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’, and capturing the essence of ‘The Meaning of the Blues’. He really is a very good player, and doesn’t put a note out of place on the entire set. Overall, though, the album needs more spark to rise above a solid studio recording of an efficient club date. ‘Simone’ swings nicely enough, Sam Jones’ ‘Bittersweet’ has a late-1950s vibe, and pianist Ryan Cohan and bassist David Finck get lots of solo space. The album starts with ‘Aint’ No Sunshine’, with Locke leading from the front and curling round tempo and tune. He sounds great, but needs more melodrama at the back.