Spellbound

The guitar wizard Bobby Rozario heads right into Latin and Afro Latin ideas here, where plenty of esteemed players are on hand for the 11 cultured tracks.

"Peace Pilgrim" opens the listen with Gary Grainger's warm bass and Dennis Chambers' fluid drumming alongside the meticulous guitar playing for the rock focused climate, and "Spellbound" follows with Mauricio Herrera's playful congas and Ismael Kouyaté's expressive voice for the busy, exciting delivery.

Deeper into the listen, "Heal Me" indeed carries a therapeutic calmness thanks to Robby Ameen's light drums and Rozario's careful guitar playing, while "Freedom" is a very progressive moment of vocals from Chris Alfinez and José Pepito Gomez, plus Edsel Gomez's moody organ and the swirling guitar.

Landing near the end, "Beat The Devil" is a dynamic and swift album highlight that's fusion fueled, and "Stronger Together" exits the listen with much emphasis on vocals and Camilo Molina's lively timbales, percussion and backing vocals.

Rozario was brought up on jazz and blues, and those influences certainly are present and appreciated across these global rhythms and sonically vivid songs that are rich with diversity and grooves.