“Babatunde Lea has summoned the spirit of rhythm in the company of Pharoah Sanders, Stan Getz, McCoy Tyner, Randy Weston, Van Morrison and many other jazz and world music luminaries. He now leads a new team of all-star talent (Frank Lacy, Ernie Watts, Hilton Ruiz, Jon Benitez, Mario Rivera) through Soul Pools, his diverse debut album on Motéma Music. The Soul Pools "oasis" provides those thirsty for excitement with Babatunde’s solid foundation and shimmering highlights, ably underscored by Ruiz and the rest of the rhythm section, and brightened by the dynamic horn and reed arrangements. Listeners partake of a propulsive ensemble sound with episodes of blithe elegance interspersed with surprise changes in tempo and meter. Lea’s trademark virtuosity reaches new heights here, as he performs simultaneously on drum set and congas, a crowd pleasing technique that can also be heard to great effect on the bonus CD that comes free with Soul Pools. The bonus CD offers an unusual, unique rhythmic arrangement of Wayne Shorter’s "Footprints", captured live at a performance of The Babatunde Lea Quartet in San Francisco on August 4th, 2002. Lea’s touring band, featuring Hilton Ruiz, bassist Geoff Brennan and sax-legend Ernie Watts electrified the audience and may just be one of the hottest acts now available on the international jazz circuit. Says SF Weekly, " Babatunde Lea is a fiery example of everything that's not dead about jazz..." – Amazon description