When Cory Weeds first approached me about this album, he told me, “I want young people, swinging”, so I happily hired the most swinging young people I know. I don’t think there is anything more inspiring and authentic to the history of hard bop than that. This album is an homage to many of my favorite prodigious hard-boppers, such as Kenny Dorham and Lee Morgan, but especially to people like Art Blakey. He was always a proponent of swinging hard and hiring the up-and-coming young cats. Swing has always and will continue to provide a voice for the youth. Cellar Live artists Jacob Chung and Tyler Henderson are featured on this record, as well as star-saxophonist Erena Terakubo, the constantly-hired Joey Raneiri, and the New York Native taking names, Willie Bowman.