The Midnight Hour in Bloomington, MN

Picked five years after the seeds were planted,
The Midnight Hour
was cross-pollinated by
Ali Shaheed Muhammad
and
Adrian Younge
, who on this project synthesize orchestral soul and post-bop jazz as approached by golden-eared cratediggers augmented by numerous vocalists and musicians. The creative chemistry of the duo -- both of whom write, produce, and play multiple instruments -- was heard first on
Souls of Mischief
's
There Is Only Now
,
Bilal
In Another Life
, and the score for the Web television series
Luke Cage
. Work on the latter necessitated the suspension of work on this double album, parts of which did reach the public prior to finalization. The
Karolina
Loren Oden
duet "Feel Alive," a torrid ballad with a level of sexual tension that rivals that of
Rotary Connection
's version of "Respect," appeared on
Younge
Los Angeles
compilation. A demo of the bossa-soul hybrid "Questions," featuring
CeeLo Green
, later formed the basis of
Kendrick Lamar
's "untitled 06." More remarkably, a reinterpretation of
Luther Vandross
' "So Amazing" applies the original 30-year-old vocal recording to astonishing effect, consequently leaving a gap in the late singer's discography for a wholly analog LP of classic ballad vocals recast with a harpist, string section, and electric pianist. These highlights are well placed within an astutely paced sequence of short and bittersweet love songs and instrumentals, all substantive and ripe for sampling. Compared to
albums dating back to the
Black Dynamite
score, this isn't as intentionally funky or as darkly psychedelic. Piano, strings, and horns have greater presence, providing a lighter, often joyous touch that complements the mostly muscular drums and chunky basslines. Various singers familiar and new to
sessions, including
Raphael Saadiq
Marsha Ambrosius
, and relative newcomer
Eryn Allen Kane
-- a standout who enchants sweetly one moment and emits fire the next -- generally don't sound as tormented as they do on the
Something About April
albums. The freer moments are almost as stimulating as the deliberately composed numbers, epitomized by "Dans un moment d'errance," where drummer
Questlove
's rolling groove is ideally matched with singer
Laetitia Sadier
's carefree do-do-dos and saxophonist
Keyon Harrold
's sinuous punctuations. ~ Andy Kellman