Like a growing number of artists, Topaz chose to forego the traditional route of begging major labels for binding, long-term record deals; instead, he produced, manufactured, and distributed his debut effort The Shrine mostly by himself. The sound of The Shrine is totally modern, but also has a feel reminiscent of a Roy Ayers Ubiquity album from the early '70s. There's lots of soul in the selections on The Shrine, plus a steady and consistent groove. Recorded in a two-track format, the sound quality is less than stellar only to those listening very closely, lacking only a little depth. The album opens with the title track, whose feel is similar to Sade. Squantch's trombone solo is fluid and right in the groove (not an easy task with a trombone); Ethan White follows on a Wurlitzer electric piano with a sparse solo that fits the rhythmic strut. Topaz closes the tune with a lyrical, well-executed solo, thereby setting the precedent for the rest of the songs on The Shrine. A key member in another hot New York City band, ulu, Justin Wallace plays the bass parts on this album; he mostly plays electric, but uses acoustic on San Joaquin. Phelim White plays the drum kit on all songs except Tress-Cun-Deo-La (a Joe Henderson tune), Dharma, and Goin' Home; the latter two feature the talented Ze Ze Arad, who exhibits a gentle jazz styling. Live at Bell was recorded at a popular New York City venue called the Bell Café. Scott Chasolen, also a member of ulu, joins Topaz' crew on the Rhodes organ; there's not much to this song other than Chasolen's soothing solo and Topaz' saxophone musings, but the atmosphere is just right. Dharma, the last selection, starts off with a free, avant-garde feel, but eventually reels it in with a hip-hop-inspired drum pattern and Ethan White's intense keyboard dramatics, which interestingly revolve around a merengue progression that gives the song a Latin flavor. Watch for the artist named Topaz. ~ Qa'id Jacobs, Rovi

1		Weak Sister
2		Take It When You Need It
3		A Modern Love Song
4		The Dream Hasn't Changed
5		Hard Luck Gambler
6		Reading Your Eyes
7		Slice of Night
8		Too Many People
9		Texas