From the streets of Soweto to those of New Orleans on Mardi Gras day, Mo'Fone takes a delightful, decidedly different romp through the musical riches of the African diaspora. The group's approach falls somewhere between those of the World Saxophone Quartet and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, but its instrumentation is more minimal than either. Composed of just trap drummer Jeremy Steinkoler and saxophonists Larry De La Cruz and Jim Peterson, with Danny Bittker adding a third sax voice on 3 of the 10 tracks. Mo'Fone achieves a mighty big sound on its debut release. The saxophonists double on clarinets and flutes, and each takes a turn at the bottom, blowing ostinatos on baritone or bass sax over which the others soar in solos that at times suggest the urgency of Albert Ayler or Arthur Blythe. Steinkoler, a master of second line syncopation in the tradition of such Crescent City giants as James Black and Zigaboo Modeliste, provides the glue that holds together Mo'Fone's original tunes and intriguing treatments of material borrowed from Professor Longhair, Weather Report, Billy Cobham, David Murray, John Scofield, Hemant Kumar, and Abdullah Ibrahim. Mo'Fone plays Fri/13 at Northbrae Community Church, Berkeley"