Singer and guitarist Jimmy Vivino writes [MAX WEINBERG]'s charts, brother Jerry plays saxes and reeds alongside him, and bassist Michael Merritt appears in both bands. So it's no surprise that the Vivinos' second fraternal outing is every bit as sharp as the Weinberg disc.

The Vivinos take a much broader and more modern approach, however, covering Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield and Van Morrison, as well as tagging soul-jazz and vintage r & b bases along the way. Displaying big ears to go along with their muscular chops, the Vivinos stretch the boundaries of the blues in highly funky fashion.