This winning CD was laid down at Sam Phillips Recording on Madison Avenue last June. The brother of piano genius Phineas Newborn Jr., Calvin Newborn has jammed alongside B.B. King, Elvis Presley and many other notables during his long and storied musical career on Beale Street and beyond. Although he now resides in Jacksonville, Fla., the Orange Mound native is still cherished as a son of the Bluff City.

This outing, something of a comeback recording for Calvin, takes on a bit of a Blue Note vibe – this applies to a number of tracks as well as the CD's jacket art. A collection of accomplished musicians come right out of the box with a Newborn original humorously entitled "When Kingdom Comes / Sho' Nuff." It's a fine start with Herman Green blowing a grooving sax and Charlie Wood holding court at the Hammond organ. Scott Thompson creates a Miles Davis feel on trumpet while Newborn's guitar cascades over the mix. Newborn's string stylings are reminiscent of Wes Montgomery or Kenny Burrell.

Track 2 is a beautiful suite that clocks in at 7:07. "Streetwalker's Stroll," possibly inspired by Calvin's early days on Beale, is driven by a gorgeous flute solo by Green. "Newborn's Blues" is the first of three blues numbers presented here. It’s a dreamy track (music composed by Phineas Newborn, Jr.) with Newborn's ringing guitar tone accented by the tasteful drumming of Renardo Ward. "Spirit Trane /Ominfarious" swings like crazy and features Donald Brown on piano.

Closing out the collection is an angelic version of Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" echoes of Miles Davis' "So What?" on the cut "Restorations;" "After Hours Blues," and the finger-popping "Blues and Beyond." The latter track is a fitting conclusion to the set with a pulsing London Branch bass line and Green's honking sax solo. This CD as a whole holds up nicely against the classic Riverside recordings of Wes Montgomery and Grant Green's heralded Blue Note recordings. "New Born" is a 4-star smash in my book.