Parker recorded the bulk of this 1993 release in New Orleans, taking advantage of the local talent and injecting doses of Southern soul, blues, and R&B into the music. Meters Leo Nocentelli (guitar) and George Porter Jr. (bass) support Parker's furious alto on five of the nine cuts, including an irresistible reading of the Meters' own "Keep on Marching." The Rebirth Brass Band inspires Parker to heights on "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" and the original "Walking Home Together." Back in New York, Fred Wesley and Pee Wee Ellis join in on the jazz standard, "The Way You Look Tonight." The work here is less polished than on Mo' Roots, but also more exciting. Few other saxophonists possess Parker's ability to intensify his solos with each passing line. --Marc Greilsamer