(Posi-tone)

By now, we have enough of a sampling of Brian Charette’s work to know that he’s one of the truly outstanding practitioners of the Hammond organ today. On Alphabet City, he shows a willingness to take things in new directions. Anchoring a solid trio of Will Bernard on guitar and Rudy Royston on drums, Charette often steps out of the traditional organ-guitar groove into a more fusion sound. Accordingly, Bernard switches pedals for some rocking solos, augmented by effects that take the production into an interstellar realm. Royston helps tie the whole package together with his excellence on the sticks. Listening to the unit work together is a pleasure on this truly excellent recording.