(Music 4 My People Entertainment)

Misfits is the fascinating sophomore recording from pianist/composer Enoch Smith, Jr. Smith’s engagingly melodic compositional work centers around a hauntingly beautiful theme, sung by Sarah Elizabeth Charles, who is featured on six of the albums tunes. Saunders Sermons and Mavis Poole provide the vocals for other tunes on the effort. Smith is backed bassist Noah Jackson and drummer Sangmin Lee and a string trio adds depth and color to one of the album’s ballads. The project also includes covers of music by Juan Tizol, Sade, Lennon and McCartney and the Rev. Paul Jones. Even so, the vernacular spoken here is fresh and original and thoroughly enjoyable music.