Full Circle

Audio Mixers: Bob Simpson ; Carmine Rubino.
Liner Note Author: Dean Rudland.
Arranger: Glenn Osser.
Another offering from the man who yodeled his way into listeners' hearts on Pharoah Sanders' "The Creator Has a Master Plan," this is sure to please fans in search of more. Let the pimped-out picture on the front cover serve as a warning, though. There are not a lot of jazz fireworks here. This is not a record where Thomas' unusual style is matched by equally creative musicians who push and prod him to ecstatic heights; rather, this is a fairly straight-ahead pop and soul offering. The best moments on the record are those that stick to that groove, like the cover of "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," a simple song whose frame allows Thomas to kick free of this earth and roar into the stratosphere. On other, more technically demanding tunes, Thomas sounds a little bored, and dare it be said, average. ~ Rob Ferrier