San Francisco-based trumpeter Erik Jekabson has led an all-star cast of Bay Area musicians every Sunday over the last year at Doc's Lab in SF's vibrant North Beach neighborhood. Building a formidable book of creative arrangements and originals, a dynamic group aesthetic, and a loyal fan-base ready for anything, the ESO takes chances and explores options while never veering from their pursuit of groove, beauty and subtlety. From the spacious modern jazz sounds of "ESP" and the title track, to the New Orleans stomp of "Gap Toothed Grin," or the '70s groove of Herbie Hancock's "People Music," the album maintains cohesiveness while still providing plenty of surprises along the way. & #10; "... when trumpeter Erik Jekabson is the force responsible for the conflagration, it's an invitation to let the good times roll." - Andrew Gilbert, Berkeley Side