Listening Room – “Mama Wailer”

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

“Mama Wailer” was the second release on Creed Taylor’s Kudu imprint and is a funky soul-jazz classic. Lonnie Smith is joined by a group of like-minded players (including an in-the-groove Grover Washington, Jr. on tenor) and the music is dirty low down jazz-funk that never strays too far from it’s improvisational roots. The group’s take on Sly and The Family Stone’s Stand is the centerpiece of the album and took up all of Side 2 on the original LP. After this recording, Lonnie Smith disappeared from the scene for awhile, he wouldn’t make another record until “Afrodesia” showed up on the Groove Merchant label in 1975.

Buy at Amazon (Japanese Import Only)

Released 1971 : Kudu Records : Catalog # KU-02

Players:
Lonnie Smith – Organ, Clavinet
Grover Washington, Jr. – Tenor Sax
Danny Moore – Trumpet
George Davis – Guitar
Jimmy Ponder – Guitar
Ron Carter – Bass
Billy Cobham – Drums

Lonnie Smith – Stand from “Mama Wailer”

Listening Room – “On Broadway”

Posted on June 11, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

This 1968 record was Reuben Wilson’s debut on Blue Note. Employing a quartet, Wilson produced a prime example of the soul-jazz groove records that were making the rounds at this time. While this album is not quite as well known as the next few LPs that Wilson would make for Blue Note, it is still a great jazz recording that has aged very well over the years.

This album is currently out-of-print.

Released 1968 : Blue Note Records : Catalog # BST 84295

Players:
Reuben Wilson – Organ
Trevor Lawrence – Tenor Sax
Malcom Riddick – Guitar
Tommy Derrick – Drums

Reuben Wilson – Ain’t That Peculiar from “On Broadway”

Reuben Wilson – Ronnie’s Bonnie from “On Broadway”

Listening Room – “Shades of Green”

Posted on June 7, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

This RARE album from Grant Green is a soulful and groovy burner of a record. Joined on the vibes by Billy Wooten, the pair keep the music in the cut even on the spacier and mellower tracks. Made up mostly of standards both new and old (although the one Green original California Green is probably the strongest track), this is definitely not the sound that made Grant Green a soul-jazz legend, but it is a still a nice under appreciated gem.

This album is currently out-of-print.

Released 1971 : Blue Note Records : Catalog # BST 84413

Players:
Grant Green – Guitar
Joe Newman – Trumpet
Joe Wilder – Trumpet
Victor Paz – Trumpet
Jimmy Sedlar – Trumpet
Billy Wooten – Vibes
Emmanuel Riggins – Electric Piano, Clavinet
Wilton Felder – Electric Bass
Harry DiVito – Trombone
Dick Hickson – Bass Trombone
Jim Buffington – French Horn
Phil Bodner – Woodwinds
Romeo Penque – Woodwinds
George Marge – Woodwinds
John Leone – Woodwinds
Nesbert “Stix” Hooper – Drums
King Errisson – Conga
Harold Caldwell – Percussion

Grant Green – California Green from “Shades of Green”

Grant Green – In The Middle from “Shades of Green”

Listening Room – “Brown Sugar”

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

This 1964 album marked a bit of a change in the sound of Freddie Roach in that he fully embraces the soul-jazz sound. Joe Henderson is masterful on the recording as is guitarist Eddie Wright and Roach’s longtime drummer Clarence Johnston. Very bluesy at times, Roach and company find the groove and stay in it. This record keeps going in and out of print, as far as I know the great re-issue label Water was the last to bring this gem (and it’s classic cover) back into circulation.

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Released 1964 : Blue Note Records : Catalog # BP-4168

Players:
Freddie Roach – Hammond B3
Joe Henderson – Tenor Sax
Eddie Wright – Guitar
Clarence Johnston – Drums

Freddie Roach – Brown Sugar from “Brown Sugar”

Freddie Roach – All Night Long from “Brown Sugar”

Listening Room – “Along Came John”

Posted on February 25, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Along Came John

John Patton – Along Came John

John Patton – Spiffy Diffy

As much as this album grooves, it’s hard to believe that this was “Big” John Patton’s debut album as a leader of his own group. Released in 1963 on Blue Note and featuring the soul-jazz powers of Grant Green, Fred Jackson, Harold Vick and Ben Dixon this is as fine an example of Hammond B3 driven jazz that you will come across.

Players:
John Patton – Hammond B3 Organ
Harold Vick – Tenor Sax
Fred Jackson – Tenor Sax
Grant Green – Guitar
Ben Dixon – Drums

Listening Room – “Back At The Chicken Shack”

Posted on February 25, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith – Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith – Messy Bessie

Recorded for Blue Note in 1960, “Back At The Chicken Shack” set the bar for Hammond B3 driven soul-jazz records. A young Stanley Turrentine is in top form, as is Kenny Burrell on guitar and Donald Bailey on drums. Smith wrote two songs for the album, the classic title track as well as the groover Messy Bessie.

Players:
Jimmy Smith – Hammond B3
Stanley Turrentine – Tenor Sax
Kenny Burrell – Guitar
Donald Bailey – Drums

Listening Room – “Brother Jack McDuff Live!”

Posted on February 14, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

mcdufflive1

Brother Jack McDuff – “Rock Candy”

Brother Jack McDuff – Dink’s Blues”

From “Brother Jack McDuff Live!” : 1963 : Prestige PRLP 7274

A compilation of 2 classic McDuff albums from the early 1960′s, this is Hammond B-3 jazz at it’s best. The album features a very young George Benson on guitar (this was one of his first appearances on record) and a young Harold Vick who would go on to make some great soul-jazz records of his own.

Players:
Jack McDuff – Organ
Red Holloway – Tenor Sax, Flute
Harold Vick – Tenor Sax
George Benson – Guitar
Joe Dukes – Drums

Listening Room – “Alligator Boogaloo”

Posted on February 9, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Lou Donaldson – “Alligator Boogaloo”

Lou Donaldson – “Aw Shucks!”

From “Alligator Boogaloo” : 1967 : Blue Note Records

A soul-jazz monster from 1967, Lou Donaldson continued his string of popular records for Blue Note with this release. Alligator Boogaloo brought together a trio of very young players who would go on to have great careers: George Benson on Guitar, Lonnie Smith (still going strong today as Dr. Lonnie Smith) and a fella known at the time as Leo Morris who would later become the soul-jazz master drummer Idris Muhammad.

Players:
Lou Donaldson – Alto Sax
Melvin Lastin, Sr. – Trumpet
George Benson – Guitar
Lonnie Smith – B3 Organ
Leo Morris (Idris Muhammad) – Drums

Listening Room – “Comin’ On Home”

Posted on February 8, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Richard “Groove” Holmes – “Groovin’ for Mr. G”

From “Comin’ On Home” : 1974 : Blue Note Records

Keeping the B3 vibe going, here is a cut from a pretty obscure session from Richard “Groove” Holmes. “Comin’ on Home” was recorded in 1971 and released on Blue Note. A few of the players are a bit unknown but the jazz-funk pioneer Weldon Irvine and Holmes keep everyone deep in the cut.

Players:
Richard “Groove” Holmes – Hammond B3
Weldon Irvine – Electric Piano
Gerald Hubbard – Guitar
Jerry Jemmott – Bass
Daryl Washington -Drums
Ray Armando – Congas
James Davis – Percussion

Listening Room – “The Sermon!”

Posted on February 8, 2009 by Jazz Sermon

Jimmy Smith – “The Sermon”

From “The Sermon!“: 1958 : Blue Note Records

Well, it only seems fitting to start off this blog with a post from Jimmy Smith’s 1958 Blue Note recording The Sermon. It is a stone cold classic from the era of the late night “blowing sessions” and features a who’s who from the early Hard Bop era.

Players:
Jimmy Smith – Hammond B3 Organ
Lee Morgan – Trumpet
Tina Brooks – Tenor Sax
Lou Donaldson – Alto Sax
Kenny Burrell – Guitar
Art Blakey – Drums