During their long tenure, Percy Hill has grown from a youthful, jam-heavy act into a mature group creating music that strikes a balance between sophisticated, lyrical tunes and more open-ended energetic jams. After All, their new CD, is the culmination of that mature approach. It's a nine-tune collection that combines some retro sounds and grooves with some searing improvisational flights.

One of the hallmarks of the musical maturity on this recording is the way in which the various influences are subtly implied, as opposed to being blatantly derivative. You may pick up on trace influences from the urban soul of Steely Dan, the Latin drive of Santana and the jazz-meets-world-music sound of Weather Report; these subtle influences add depth and character.

The music is a rich and seamless blend of soul, pop, jazz and Latin that has long been a trademark of Percy Hill. Tunes like the opener "Awaiting Our Return," the beautiful ballad "Brings You Back Again" and "Lap Of Luxury" all have nice retro soul grooves that sound fresh and new. "Spirit Of Air" and "Door #5" get into more jam-inspired, high-energy territory.

Among my personal favorites are the aforementioned "Brings You Back Again" and the Paul Simonesque "St. Lucilla," a tune with a buoyant Caribbean vibe and superb vocal work that flows beautifully from start to finish.

Another sign of maturity is in the individual playing by the band members. Keyboardist Nate Wilson is the centerpiece of the CD, with his rich and imaginative keyboard work. His solos on "Spirit of Air," "Door #5" and "Shining on Creation" are well constructed, and his melodica work on "Brings You Back Again" is reminiscent of similar playing by Joe Zawinul in the band Weather Report. Guitarist Joseph Farrell plays thoughtfully and tastefully throughout, though I would like to hear him stretch out more and provide a better view of his obvious talent. Bassist John Lecesse and drummer Aaron Katz anchor all of the music solidly and energetically, and their stylistic transitions in "Door #5" and "Spirit of Air" are smooth and seamless. Guest percussionist Yahuba Garcia adds a rich palette of percussive colors to most of the tunes, enhancing the music greatly.

The few nits I have to pick are in the overall production. I've listened to this CD on three different and varied systems, and at times I've found the final mix to be a little muddy. Wilson's mini-moog solo on "Shining on Creation" could be more up-front, as could all of the percussion work. In terms of liner notes, identifying who sings on what would be good for those who are less familiar with the band. though. Two big production positives are that with nine tunes clocking in at under 55 minutes, you don't feel overwhelmed or exhausted. The diversity of the music helps to a great degree with this. Also, the CD comes in a nice two-fold soft cover rather than the ubiquitous and out-of-date plastic jewel case. Big kudos for smart packaging.

With their latest CD, Percy Hill has hit their stride and, more importantly, found their collective voice. This is more than another collection of tunes. After All is an artistic statement from a truly remarkable band.