Larry Gold has been around the block (at least a bunch of Philly blocks), arranging strings, producing and playing cello and working with artists on many past and present hits, including the Roots and Justin Timberlake and classics like the O’Jays and Gamble & Huff. The personnel on his Don Cello reads like a who’s who of Philly’s Black Lily scene, represented by people like Jaguar Wright, Floetry, Kindred and members of the Roots laying down silky vocals and tight rhymes. The string-laden neo soul is interesting in either a dance-friendly, contemporary R&B fashion or syrupy ballad style-it just doesn’t seem to have staying power in the CD player like Gold’s work on other people’s albums.