On Reza Khan’s latest album Mystical, his first call to collaborate was to veteran saxophonist David Mann, who had brought exciting horn textures and arrangements to earlier albums. In addition to seeking his production skills, Khan felt that co-writing with Mann on a few tracks would be the ticket to unlocking this magic. This intuitive dual perfection between Khan and Mann manifests brilliantly on Mystical’s latest single “Rising,” a bright, exuberant burst of ultra-melodic, mid-tempo funk excitement showcasing both the balmy acoustic and crackling electric sides of his deep guitar artistry. Perfectly in tandem, Mann pulls dynamic double duty as well, bringing his punchy emotional sax fire and snazzy, sometimes bluesy keyboard energy to the mix. While it’s great to hear Khan and Mann work their solo action, “Rising” lives up to its name even more in those explosive spots where they’re working their punchy yet soaring duet on horn and electric axe. Mystical has a lot of all-star guests but no track captures the hook-driven aesthetic Khan was aiming for as well as “Rising.”