Their name says it all – Masters At Work. For over a
decade, "Little Louie" Vega and Kenny "Dope"
Gonzalez have shepherded dance music down new paths with their
inventive production style and imaginative feel for different
musical forms. The two native New Yorkers have amassed an
overwhelming body of work in that time, one that includes
hundreds of original productions, remixes and side projects,
redefining the way we think of music in clubs. Vega and Gonzalez
defiantly mix everything they can find – house, hip-hop,
funk, disco, Latin, African and jazz – into a universal
groove. And in doing so, MAW has become a cultural mélange
unto itself, emblematic of the multicultural society in which
we live.
Masters At Work won the ‘Outstanding Contribution’
Award at the US Dancestar Awards at the Miami Winter Music
Conference 2002.
Our Time Is Coming is the group's third official album, second
under the MAW moniker. Comprised of wonderful new compositions
and a handful of their most popular singles from recent years,
it is indicative of the ambitiously eclectic MAW sound: a
vibrant dance groove culled from a mesh of Latin rhythms,
jazz and soul. Vega and Gonzalez composed, produced and arranged
the album's 15 songs, using crafty studio work and live instrumentation
and help from some regular collaborators (India, Roy Ayers)
and a few special guests (Patti Austin, James Ingram, Stephanie
Mills).
Our Time Is Coming combines new compositions with popular
MAW singles from recent years, all co-written, produced, arranged
and mixed by Vega and Gonzalez, who recruited a number of
friends and influences to add to the sessions.
The title track boasts the inimitable influence of Roy Ayers
on vibes and background vocals. "Like A Butterfly (You
Send Me)," the opening selection, features the lovely
Patti Austin on vocals with lyrics co-written by Blaze and
background vocals arranged by Austin. The legendary James
Ingram appears on "Lean On Me." Elsewhere on Our
Time Is Coming, the diversity of Vega and Gonzalez rears its
head with the Latin-jazz-influenced "Pienso En Ti,"
featuring guitarist and vocalist Luis Salinas, and the deep-house
funk of Billie’s "Every Now And Then." And
it's nearly impossible to throw on the Soca-influenced "Work,"
(featuring Puppah Nas-T with vocals by Denise) and casually
bob your head – this is a full-body experience.
It was a dream of Vega and Gonzalez’s to record with
Afrobeat king Fela Kuti. Unfortunately, their hopes were dashed
when Fela passed away in August 1997. So instead, "MAW
Expensive (A Tribute To Fela)" reworks Fela’s signature
"Expensive Shit," maintaining its dedicated tribal
flavor. Our Time Is Coming is Masters At Work at their finest,
a wonderful accomplishment especially given the scope of Masters
At Work's robust discography. It's rare to see artists push
their creative impulses so consistently and with such acceptance,
and even more rare to see it sustained for so long. But as
this album reveals, Vega and Gonzalez continue to do so with
unequaled ability. If anything, the album's title is too appropriate,
for as much as the artists have done in the last eleven years,
there is certainly more that lies ahead.
