We were first blown away by Seattle's 7-voice (6 men, 1 woman) Groove for Thought when they stepped onto the stage at the Harmony Sweeps 2005 National Finals, where they won "Best Original Song" and the National Championship. Their amazing arrangements, hot leads, and an infectious, unique blend of jazz and R&B left little doubt in our minds and the judges' who was the best group on stage. The second time was in 2010 on NBC's The Sing-Off, when this talented group survived three intense rounds of tough competition with great performances, gaining millions of fans and joining an elite group-the best performing a cappella ensembles on the planet! "Inspired" is a tour de force collection of 11 cuts that only underline that perception, and is certainly one of our early favorites for best jazz album of the year (although we'd also listen to arguments that it's the best R&B album of the year!) Some favorites are a cappella winners, Michael Jackson's "Human Nature," Ray Charles' hit "Hallelujah, I Love Her So," a sublime arrangement of Lennon/McCartney's "Got to Get You Into My Life" and Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors." Accompanied favorites are EWF's "Shining Star," Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours" segued into Wilson Pickett's "Knock on Wood," Pickett's "Midnight Hour," Cyndi Lauper's "Who Let in the Rain," and Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet it Is." More accompaniment than we were expecting, but very cut is a gem here-don't miss "Inspired," a powerful album by one of America's best!