Celebrating his passion for the music he grew up with, veteran guitarist Dave Stryker peppered his solo discography in the 2010s with his spirited three-part (four, if holiday releases count) Eight Track series, creating colorful re-imaginings of ’70s soul, pop and rock classics with his trios and quartet. Fans of Stryker’s 21st Century jazz twists
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Those four re-imaginings lay the foundation for a well-rounded set that includes a jamming Mintzer original (“Aha”); three sinewy Stryker originals (his brilliant jangling leads, Billy Test’s churchy organ and Mintzer’s monster solo make “Blues Strut” a standout); and the coolly swaggering Stanley Turrentine number “Stan’s Shuffle.” Beyond Mintzer, the explosive solo-sax energy of altoist Johan Hörlén and tenor player Paul Heller provides one of the project’s great driving forces. Here’s hoping that Blue Soul marks the launch of a new series spotlighting both classics and originals. — Jonathan Widran