Justin Thurgur has an unusual CV of peregrinations around the musical globe, his session suitcase embellished with labels from his work with Cuban legends Giraldo Piloto and Julito Padron, Afrobeat stars Tony Allen and Dele Sosimi, and Brit prog-folkies Bellowhead. All of this indicates a commitment to good music well played, regardless of provenance, and this is what he’s delivered in his first release as frontman, on his own Funkiwala imprint. The various different rhythm teams all deliver tight, focussed, grooves, skirting around a festival-friendly afrobeat-meets-dub-meets-souljazz territory, with the choice of acoustic bass thoughout giving a nice organic feel. ‘Be A little Wiser’ leans into reggae, ‘Many Faces’ has a mellow 1990s atmosphere adorned with strings and a crisp cool vocal from Jade Pybus, reminiscent of the Dorado label or an escapee from the popular Rebirth Of Cool compilation series, and ‘Reality Of Reality’ is a seductive minor key modal jazz workout over a gently bubbling Tony Allen feel. The horn charts are fluid and inventive and the soloists keep things interesting - Thurgur’s trombone is attractively full-toned and nimble, sounding a bit like Fred Wesley, trumpet star Graeme Flowers obliges with his customary fireworks, and Thurgur's label partner Kishon Kahn contributes some very hip piano, notably on ‘The Reeducation of Mr Otheralisation’. James Allsop and Phil Dawson also create some nice moments on bass clarinet and guitar, respectively. While we’re not exploring any new territory here, this is a well conceived and put together project delivered with a ton of soul that should be a shoo-in for the festival circuit.