Space Island

Right off the bat, as the initial faux country chords from "Wildside" wobble in and out of phase before a delectable, backwater-bar groove rumbles into place, you know you're in for something a little different, something special. Bassist Rob Wasserman, a longtime musical partner of Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir and creator of a much acclaimed trilogy of collaborative recordings (Solo, Duets, and Trios, involving artists as diverse as Aaron Neville, Rickie Lee Jones, Lou Reed, Bobby McFerrin, Bruce Hornsby, and Branford Marsalis), here ventures into new and richly satisfying musical terrain.