Eric Marienthal is an excellent saxophonist, excelling in smooth, straight ahead, and big band jazz. That said, it's really tough to hear Cannonball's classics, both the bop and soul jazz tunes, rendered so smoothly. Eric's version of Mercy, Mercy, Mercy lacks all the soul that made the original so hip. I involuntarily cringed after the transition between Cannonball's spoken word intro and the new, oh-so-smooth drum machine groove. Work Song is supposed to be a field blues sung by slaves, and the original really does so with a driving, intense feel. This version is just weak and, let's face it, extremely white.If you like smooth jazz, Eric Marienthal is an excellent player of that genre, but if you are expecting a Cannonball tribute that actually captures the soul behind Cannonball's music, this isn't it. Extremely smooth interpretations lacking the fire that made Cannonball such a master.