One of Smooth Jazz's most creative and explosive bassists, Chicago-based Michael Manson has put out some great studio discs - but nothing tops the wild abandon and all-out joy of his live performances. So it's exciting that he's giving us his unfiltered, hard groovin' best on THUMPIN' LIVE, a 16-track set CD/DVD of the multi-talented artist at his best. In addition to expansive romps through his popular tunes like "Outer Drive," key tracks include the soulful, swaying "Just One Touch" and the brassy, heavy bottom way out rockin' funk of "The Bottom Line," fashioned as a tribute to his late hero George Duke, whom Manson first played with on Kirk Whalum's "The Gospel According To Jazz" in 1997. Nobody does THUMPIN' LIVE better than Manson! -JONATHAN WIDRAN