The album of Snowboy's monthly club in Camden's Jazz Café, this is a soundtrack to a genuine Gladiator-proportioned epic (if you've seen the dancers at the club you'll understand the comparison) while also being a music reference book.
As is Snowboy's way, the album goes into detail so you get the history of the scene spelt out as well as the motivation of this set – namely music culled from the world of obscure CDs and given new life as an easily-accessed CD and vinyl compilation.
The furious opener, Dionne Warwick's Brazilian batacuda jazz standard 'Caravan', sets the tone. From there on in the variety is constant and the standard rarely drops. Jazz gods Duke Pearson ('Up a Neguinha') and Horace Silver ('Not Enough Mama') belie their years on their contributions, and Caribbean cult singer Jon Lucien's vocals soar on 'A Time For Me To Fly'. Serius B work over Herbie Hancock's 'Watermelon Man' and Snowboy himself steps forward with his popular floor filler 'Casa Forte'.
Whether you've been there from day one or catching up, this is just what you need.
