Former George Clinton and Maxwell sideman Amp Fiddler walks his own middle ground on Waltz of a Ghetto Fly. Neither as all-out funkadelic as Clinton or as straight-ahead romantic as Maxwell, Fiddler offers a keyboard-heavy blend of styles that"s both airy and rooted in a deep groove. Overdubbing harmonies, he presses his rangy voice to its expressive limits. "Superficial" begins with a rhythm pattern that sounds like Blondie"s "Heart of Glass" turned inside out before bursting into a Latin-dance extravaganza. Other tracks benefit from jazz touches, such as the elegant piano solo that highlights "Possibilities." Fiddler"s songs are often little more than vamps, but it"s this brand of musicality that lights them up. --Rickey Wright