Since 1992, Lettuce have kept a very distinct strand of festival funk alive, but with their newest outing,

, the band veers into uncharted cerebral territory. Recorded live at the Catskill Chill festival in Lakewood, Pa.,

pays tribute to jazz icon Miles Davis with a reimagining of seven Davis originals. The centerpiece of LP is a full recreation of his acclaimed fusion record

and the band’s Berklee education shine through as they swing and groove through these bold musical abstractions.

is considered by many to be Davis’ greatest creative advancement. Rock critic Lester Bangs called it “transcendental new music” that gleefully “flushes categories away.” And in many ways, the members of Lettuce strive to do the same on this LP. Sure, it’s a bold undertaking, but the band’s all-star roster definitely has the chops (guitarist Adam Smirnoff, drummer Adam Deitch, bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes, vocalist-keyboardist Nigel Hall, saxophonist Ryan Zoidis and trumpeter Eric Bloom). Additionally,

advances Lettuce’s prior forays into sonic experimentation, and proves that resting on their laurels is not an option. Most tracks bust open to surpass the 10-minute mark, and needless to say the horn section thrives. There are some bite-sized grooves too, namely the funky, three and a half minute “Black Satin.” However, Lettuce are at their best when raw and unhinged, pushing their limits to honor a legend

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