During the COVID-19 pandemic, Joel Ross re-enrolled in the New School to complete his degree, during which he took a class from Darius Jones about blues music. This inspired Ross to reconsider the blues as "a sort of spirit, an energy", rather than a specific form. Ross also wished to make music that was more accessible than his previous work.[1][2]
The album was met with critical acclaim. Mike Hobart, writing for the Financial Times, gave the album four stars, stating that "Intense modal jazz and field-holler wails sit side by side, but only as signifiers in an intense and wide-ranging set...it is the intuitive interplay of a long-established band that most impresses."[5] Will Layman of PopMatters highlighted the album on the site's JazzMatters column, declaring that it "continues a strong run [for Ross] on Blue Note", and praised pianist Jeremy Corren's playing on the track "ya know".[7] Phil Freeman, writing in Stereogum's monthly Ugly Beauty column, said the album "arises out of an urge to explore ballads and blues, and in so doing find his way to the heart of jazz, to move it forward by examining its past and its roots".[8]
Track listing
All tracks written by Joel Ross unless otherwise indicated.
