Unless you spend a ,lot of time trolling the internet for cool new music discoveries your reaction when you saw the name Mario Biondi was probably “who?” Well, he's another one of those treasures hidden on the other side of the pond. An Italian interpreter of jazz, soul, pop, R&B, blues, ballads, and beyond whose songs have been remixed to heat up the dance floor and chill out the lounge when the lights are low and he has his way with a ballad that is gonna put you in the mood (if you know what I mean.) And when he wants to he can channel Barry White right down to that deep, low whisper or roll out a soulful Marvin Gaye baritone without losing the essence of Mario Biondi. Add to this a constellation of guest shots from international stars like Al Jarreau, Chaka Kahn, Leon Ware, Omar, and members of The Brand New Heavies and Incognito and the production skills of Incognito founder Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick and his partner in crime Richard Bull and you've got 14 shades of magic – 14 songs that will blow your mind in 14 different directions.

First, there is the voice. It is almost shocking to hear because nobody else sounds like him – deep, full, and commanding. It seems to span decades with a touch of the mid 50's crooner, mid 60's boho hipster, 70's classic soul, late 20th century contemporary jazz and early 21st century neo-soul. His voice is fluid and flexible and what a range – from low to high with complete ease. Then there is the instrumentation.  These arrangements truly set this project apart from a lot of the vocal albums that are being passed off as “smooth jazz” these days. It's more in line with the contemporary jazz and adult contemporary vocals during the heyday of Warner Bros hen they were bringing in people like David Sanborn, Larry Carlton, Tom Scott and the Crusaders to beef up the background. There are solid horn sections, deep grooves, and amazing solos in almost every song. The songs cover a lot of territory, the danceable house influenced “Deep Space” and “Girl Blue,”  “Mad Men” era lounge on “Come To Me,”  purely sensual balladry on “Come To Me” and “La Vogla la Pazzia L'idea.”

Then there is his Barry White spin, perfectly delivered in “What Have You Done To Me.” The song that led  me to discover this album was “Light To The World,” the duet with Al Jarreau. Their voices perfectly counterpoint each other in this gem of a song penned by Bluey. He and Chaka Kahn tear through a take on “Lowdown” that takes this often done (overdone) song to a whole new level.

The entire sound of this album is timeless. It will sound just as compelling 10 years from now as it does on first listen. He has managed in less than an hour of music to capture the essence of everything that is wonderful about the place where contemporary jazz, classic soul, and adult contemporary alternative intersect.  The effect is joyous and mesmerizing. Europeans have spent the last decade falling in love with Mario Biondi. Now it's your turn.