In 1969 Miles Davis put the world on notice with Bitches Brew; a bold statement that broke every pre-conceived notion people had about jazz and music in general up to that point. Taking this as inspiration, Gerry Weil decided to emulate Miles in 1971, but on Caribbean soil, gathering a dream team of 15 Venezuelan musicians, most of which went on to become renowned bandleaders in their own right, to record an avant-garde album that would later turn into a coveted item amongst record collectors. The album opens with The Joy Within Yourself, showcasing Gerry’s dexterous organ playing within seconds, accompanied by stunning horn arrangements, a bluesy vocal by Weil himself and a killer electric guitar solo by Vinicio Ludovic (Luisito Quintero / Arturo Sandoval). Continuing with The Bull’s Problem, the LP settles into a jazz funk groove with a nasty rhodes and bass combination alongside a heavy drums and congas exchange between Alberto Naranjo (Los Kenya / El Trabuco Venezolano) and Freddy Roldán (Grupo Mango / Alfredito Linares). Johnny’s Bag kicks off the second side on a spiritual tone. This time Gerry’s on acoustic piano, accompanied yet again by a beautiful, but equally powerful horn section featuring a who’s who of Venezuelan jazzmen, such as Benjamin Brea on alto, Victor Cuica on tenor, Rodrigo Barboza on trombone and Luis Arias on trumpet. “What Is A Man” begins with a vocal duo between Vinicio Ludovic and Gerry before settling into a funky groove underpinned by Michael Berti’s (Aldemaro Romero y su Onda Nueva / Jayme Marques) booming bassline. The album closes with Little Man. A meditative, yet grooving piece that could easily be found on any of the best Blue Note albums from that same time period.