4Mama Music

The Buffalo, N.Y.-based alto saxophonist and vocalist Eric Crittenden is best known for rocking with Bonnaroo-types, but he’s no hippie. On his own, “Critt” conjures up an earthy and unpretentious amalgam of jazz and R&B, a concoction that’s more Stevie Wonder than Widespread Panic. But that didn’t stop a pair of jamband A-listers from sitting in on his latest outing. Blu, funky and unfussy, features guest spots from bassist Rob Wasserman and Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno. On “Todd’s Chili,” a meeting of Meshell Ndegeocello funk and classic swing, Krasno is in fine form, tearing off lick after jazzy lick. “Stormy Blu,” the centerpiece of the album, captures Wasserman bowing away on his trusty electric upright and Critt wailing like a possessed man.