MK7: Seasoned

First off, don’t judge this book by its cover. Even for an independent production, it’s one of the cheesiest I’ve seen. Cosmetics aside, Seasoned is a surprisingly good CD. Based in Bellmore, NY MK7 has undergone a number of personnel changes over the course of three CD releases and now consists of Oliver Vonessen (organ), Bill Titus (guitar) and Joe Anikewich (drums). Seasoned also employs the talents of vocalist Paul Dooley for one track and tenor saxophonist Mike Filice on five. Listeners may want to skip past Dooley’s reggae-flavoured version of Amazing Grace. After opening with the gritty, funky original 15 Evers Place, his rendition of this classic spiritual seems jarringly out of place. While the recording may not posses the high production values of big-label recordings, the loosey-goosey ambiance and basement-tapped quality matches the funky feel of Anikewich’s soul/jazz compositions. To order Seasoned or to hear sound samples from the CD, visit MK7’s Web site at www.mk7.com. (###)