Ngatibatanei / Let Us Unite!

The saxophonist Idit Shner brings alongside an excellent cast for these cultured and rich 8 tracks that rarely sit still.

"Henceforth" opens the listen with Torrey Newhart's flowing piano and John Mambira's lively percussion that suits the soulful sax, and "The Change" follows with a warm intimacy that allows Shner's fluid sax to radiate as the setting gets dreamy.

The middle spot belongs to "Lunar Curve", where hand clapping and well timed mbira from Taffie Matiure mesmerizes us, while "Conestoga" benefits from Garrett Baxter's dense bass plucking amid a soothing groove.

Near to the end, "Kraken" enters rock territory with its thick atmosphere of thumping drums from Ken Mastrogiovanni and the animated brass, and "For Now" exits with a festive appeal that's dance floor ready and emits plenty of lush, cultured songwriting.

An exciting body of work that uses African traditions and Western jazz nods, the melodies, grooves and worldly demeanor makes every track here equally interesting and memorable.