When decided to stir up a little trouble in 1994 by juxtaposing and fusing mainstream jazz with hip-hop rhythms, rap, R&B, rock, reggae, and half a dozen other idioms, he chose to present his new music under the group name . This fanciful moniker is actually a resurrection of a pseudonym used in the 1950s when moonlighting on a record label other than his own. The group's eponymous first album, a brilliant, playful, musically rich realization of this anything-goes fusion unfortunately drew a lot of fire from critics in every genre, a situation that lamented on the group's equally eclectic yet less striking second album . Nevertheless, was so enthused by his new group that he left his high-profile job as bandleader of the Tonight Show in part so that he could tour with in 1994-1995. The 1997 edition of , as heard on , contains a nucleus of (saxophones, keyboard, and drum programming), ("wheels o' steel"), (vocals, keyboards), (guitar), (trumpet), (bass), (drums), and 50 Styles: the Unknown Soldier (rap vocals). Of all of ' diverse pursuits, none project his unique combination of virtuosity and irreverence as completely as . ~ Richard S. Ginell

Credits for Buckshot LeFonque