Soul Insider
Tenor and soprano saxophonist Bill Evans has always been one of jazz's  most forward-thinking and prolific musicians; yet, he's also one of its most  undervalued. Pursuing contrasting styles and sounds, accompanied by his  scorching, soulful technique, Evans has courted jazz-rap (Escape), all- acoustic bop (Starfish and the Moon), and neo-smooth jazz (Touch).  With skills honed in the furnaces of Miles Davis's groups and the Mahavishnu  Orchestra, Evans has addressed commercial concerns but has also made time to  blow mean music and push the boundaries.Soul Insideris a bump- righteous, soul-jazz affair as funky as a Blues Brothers record, but as smooth  as silk and cigar smoke. Surrounding himself with a crack band, including  guitarist John Scofield, organist Ricky Peterson, percussionist Don Alias, and  heroic funk-drummer supreme, Steve Jordan,Soul Insidersimmers slowly to  the boiling point. It's a rare record where everyone actually grooves like mad  in the studio live, and tracks such as "Van's Joint" and "Cool Eddie" pump like  Booker T & the MGs injected with NYC grease and gravy. Les McCann adds vocals on  "Lose My Number" and "You Sure Look Good to Me," bringing a good-natured glee to  the rumpus-room funk. "Cheeks" recalls early David Sanborn or classic King  Curtis or Aretha, while "Sneaky" is drenched in a nocturnal urban edge, as is  the sweltering "Older Days." Evans blows hot and boisterous throughout, raising  high this squirming soul soufflé.--Ken Micallef