I couldn’t tell Dwayne’s story as well as he tells it himself on his website but I’ll just tell you that as a big fan of jazz flute, I could not wait to hear his second solo CD “Higher Calling” from 2007.

It’s clever to open the album with a song that everyone knows; Bill Withers’ ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’. This funky instrumental bears little resemblance to the original though. The chunky bass forms the basis of a nice, tough groove and that groove is a perfect foil for Dwayne’s breathy flute and Erykah Badu’s background vocals.

‘Smooth’ is a deceptive title because the groove here is deep. The drums are programmed but unusually I don’t mind because Hubert Eaves IV on bass lays it down heavy and the flute dances on this original composition.

I love the jazzy keyboards on the funky, chunky ‘The H-Factor’. The background vocals, that irresistible funk and some beautifully recorded flute make this a treat for folks like me who lap up the music of Herbie Mann, Dave Valentin, Bobbi Humphrey and other flute heroes.

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