Has there ever been a more appropriate release for Hammondbeat? 'Building A Bigger Tomorrow' is a collaborative project of epic proportions. I was expecting something diverse from this CD, but this really has got something for everyone - and if you're a Hammond fan, it's the whole damn thing! The list of guest players reads like a veritable who's who of the whole Hammond scene (plus some), from Eddie Roberts to Enri, Dave Wilkinson to Doctor D.

Paolo himself will be a familiar name to anyone frequenting the Hammondbeat site, having played for many years with the Link Quartet and, before that, prog trio Nice Price. Paolo is widely regarded as one of the finest Hammond players out there and, boy, does it show on this record! The Hammond A102 is a constant presence throughout the whole album, it's keys a blur under some lightning finger work. This can often lead other artists down the over jazzified road of musical wank, but Paolo's having none of it, with tasty considered solos, superbly written original tracks and some well chosen covers. This isn't just a collection of tasty grooves, this is damn good music too!

Popping in the CD for the first time and you're confronted with a swinging, frantic jazz workout, a lively jazz waltz, a superb version of 'Can't Get Satisfied', blinding blues soloing, rocksome funk, lush analogue synth noodling, and then, oooooo - vocals too, and we're still only a quarter of the way through the whole shebang. Disc one of the two disc edition alone more than justifies the modest asking price, but of course there's more! Warm synth textures, electric piano, and even an ARP sequencer keep the interest there and sometimes it's hard to believe you're still listening to the same album from track to track, but then that Hammond kicks in again and it's immediately obvious who your ears are feasting on.

This, for me, is Hammonbeat's finest release to date. It truly encompasses everything the label is about and really does cover an enormous amount of ground. Even more impressive is the fact that I really can't point a negative finger at any tracks and accuse them of being 'fillers'. And with 30 tracks that's some achievement! Maybe it's the 32 collaborators that make it so special? Maybe it's the sheer diversity of the material? Maybe it's the quality of the tunes, the accomplished musicianship? Or maybe it's just the whole bundle! Superb stuff. Buy it - NOW!
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