"Once Upon a Time in The West," there was a septet out of South Central Los Angeles that was not afraid to inhale - to soak up the vibrations and the multi-cultural make-up of its surrounding community. Like a mirror held up to the light, they refracted the sensual and joyful lopes of the Latin diaspora, the earthy blues of the Black Experience, the rootsy fruit of the Afro-Cuban contingent and (via their Danish soul mate on harmonica) the enchanting melodies of a not-so-distant promised land.

Bound by... more