Important soul jazz recordings

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

A comment I made on the thread about underrated Blue Note or Prestige albums led me to wonder whether the important Soul Jazz recordings were all that well known. So I thought I’d list them.

This isn’t a list of recordings I think are best, or that I like best, though many of them would appear in such a list. It’s what I think are milestones in the development of the music (and milestones in its decline in later years) which made a difference. Many of them were very popular; in a sense, a recording or a song has to be heard widely to be influential. But it’s not a list of hits; the popularity of a recording doesn’t guarantee influence.

I’ve excluded vocal recordings (except if there’s one on an otherwise instrumental album), so no Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson, Gloria Lynne, Etta Jones, Della Reese etc.

So, here's the list. I haven't tried to limit it in any way - so there are 20 78s and 105 (I think) albums (in approximate chronological order).

The forties/early fifties

78s

Illinois Jacquet – Blues pt 2 (from JATP) – Disc (1944)
Ike Quebec – Blue Harlem – Blue Note (1944)
Illinois Jacquet – Flying home – Aladdin (1945)
Illinois Jacquet – You left me all alone – Aladdin (1947)
Illinois Jacquet – Robbins nest – Apollo (1947)
Arnett Cobb – When I grow too old to dream pts 1&2 – Apollo (1947)
Joe Morris – Lowe groovin’ – Atlantic (1947)
Gene Ammons – Red top – Mercury (1947)
Sonny Thompson – Long gone pts 1&2 – Miracle (1947)
Todd Rhodes – Blues for the Red Boy – Sensation (1947)
Eddie Chamblee – Back street – Miracle (1948)
Paul Williams – The hucklebuck - Savoy (1948)
Frank Culley – Cole slaw – Atlantic (1949)
Cootie Williams (w Willis Jackson) – Gator tail pts 1&2 – Mercury (1949)
Gene Ammons – My foolish heart – Chess (1950)
Gene Ammons/Sonny Stitt – Blues up & down – Prestige (1951)
Wild Bill Davis – Azure-te – Okeh (1951)
Jimmy Forrest – Night train – United (1951)
Rusty Bryant – All night long – Dot (1952)
Wild Bill Davis – April in Paris – Okeh (1953)

LPs

Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis – Goodies from Davis – Roost (1952-3)
Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis/Sonny Stitt – Battle of Birdland – Roost (1954)

Late fifties

Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis – Modern Jazz – King (1955)
Gene Ammons – Woofin’ & tweetin’ – Prestige (1955)
Bill Doggett – Everybody dance the honky tonk – King (1954-6)
Ray Charles – The great Ray Charles – Atlantic (1956)
Kenny Burrell – All day long (side 1) – Prestige (1957)
Jimmy Smith – All day long – Blue Note (1957)
Lou Donaldson – Swing & soul – Blue Note (1957)
Jimmy Smith – House party – Blue Note (1957-8)
Jimmy Smith – The sermon – Blue Note (1957-8)
Ray Charles & Milt Jackson – Soul brothers – Atlantic (1957)
Eddie ‘Lockjaw ‘ Davis & Shirley Shirley Scott – Cookbook vols 1-3 – Prestige (1959)
Lou Donaldson – Blues walk – Blue Note (1959)
Cannonball Adderley & Milt Jackson – Things are getting better – Riverside (1959)
Ray Charles & David Newman – Fathead – Atlantic (1959)
Arnett Cobb – Blow Arnett Blow – Prestige (1959)
Arnett Cobb – Smooth sailing – Prestige (1959)
Ray Bryant – Madison time – Columbia (US) (1959)
Willis Jackson – Please Mr Jackson – Prestige (1959)
Teddy Edwards & Les McCann – It’s about time – Pacific Jazz (1959)
Johnny ‘Hammond’ Smith – All soul – New Jazz (1959)
Wes Montgomery – Trio – Riverside (1959)
Cannonball Adderley – In San Francisco – Riverside (1959)
Milt Buckner – Mighty high – Argo (1959)

Sixties

Les McCann – The truth – Pacific Jazz (1959-60)
Nat Adderley – Work song – Riverside (1960)
Cannonball Adderley – Them dirty blues – Riverside (1960)
Jimmy Smith – Back at the Chicken Shack – Blue Note (1960)
Johnny Griffin & the big soul band – Riverside (1960)
Gene Ammons – Boss tenor – Prestige (1960)
John Wright – South side soul – Prestige (1960)
Curtis Amy & Paul Bryant – Blues message – Pacific Jazz (1960)
Ray Charles – Genius+soul=jazz – Impulse (1960)

Stanley Turrentine & 3 Sounds - Blue hour - Blue Note (1960)
Baby Face Willette – Face to face – Blue Note (1961)
Jack McDuff – The honeydripper – Prestige (1961)
Groove Holmes/Mccann/Webster – Groove – Pacific Jazz (1961)
Jazz Crusaders – Freedom sound – Pacific Jazz (1961)
Shirley Scott & Stan Turrentine – Hip soul – Prestige (1961)
Gene Ammons/Stitt/McDuff – Soul summit – Prestige (1961)
Gene Ammons/Holmes – Groovin’ with Jug – Pacific Jazz (1961)
Gerald Wilson – You better believe it – Pacific Jazz (1961)
Jimmy Forrest – Sit down & relax – Prestige (1961)
Ike Quebec – Heavy soul – Blue Note (1961)
Les McCann – In New York – Pacific Jazz (1961)
Jimmy McGriff – I got a woman – Sue (1962)
Willis Jackson – Thunderbird – Prestige (1962)
Jimmy Smith – Bashin’ – Verve (1962)
Teddy Edwards – Heart & soul – Contemporary (1962)
Lou Donaldson – The natural soul – Blue Note (1962)
Don Wilkerson – Preach brother – Blue Note (1962)
Gene Ammons – Bad bossa nova – Prestige (1962)
Jack McDuff – Screamin’ – Prestige (1962)
Paul Bryant – Something’s happenin’ – Fantasy (1963)
Kenny Burrell – Midnight blue – Blue Note (1963)
John Patton – Along came John – Blue Note (1963)
Willis Jackson – Grease & Gravy – Prestige (1963)
Jack McDuff – Live – Prestige (1963)
Red Holloway – The burner – Prestige (1963)
Charles Kynard – Where it’s at – Pacific Jazz (1963)
Hank Crawford – True blue – Atlantic (1963-4)
Billy Larkin & the Delegates – Pigmy – Aura (1964)
Freddie Roach – Brown sugar – Blue Note (1964)
James Brown – Grits & soul – Smash (1964)
Don Patterson – Hip cake walk – Prestige (1964)
John Patton – The way I feel – Blue Note (1964)
Freddie Roach – All that’s good – Blue Note (1964)
Baby Face Willette – Behind the 8 ball – Argo (1964)
Freddie McCoy – Lonely avenue – Prestige (1965)
Ramsey Lewis – The in crowd – Argo (1965)
Johnny ‘Hammond’ Smith – The stinger – Prestige (1965)
Blue Mitchell – Down with it – Blue Note (1965)
Eddie Harris – The in sound – Atlantic (1965)
Nat Adderley – Sayin’ somethin’ – Atlantic (1965-6)
Groove Holmes – Livin’ soul – Prestige (1966)
Donald Byrd – Mustang – Blue Note (1966)
Freddie McCoy – Funk drops – Prestige (1966)
Cannonball Adderley – Mercy, mercy, mercy – Capitol (1966)
Stanley Turrentine – Rough & tumble – Blue Note (1966)
Cannonball Adderley – Why am I treated so bad – Capitol (1967)
Lou Donaldson – Alligator bogaloo – Blue Note (1967)
Wes Montgomery – A day in the life – A&M (1967)
Stanley Turrentine – The look of love – Blue Note (1968)
Lonnie Smith – Think – Blue Note (1968)
Herbie Mann – Memphis underground – Atlantic (1968)
Les McCann & Eddie Harris – Swiss movement – Atlantic (1969)
Houston Person – Goodness – Prestige (1969)
Grant Green – Carryin’ on – Blue Note (1969)
Gene Ammons – The boss is back – Prestige (1969)
Gene Ammons – Brother Jug – Prestige (1969)
Charles Earland – Black talk – Prestige (1969)

Seventies

James Brown – Ain’t it funky – King (1970)
Rusty Bryant – Soul liberation - Prestige (1970)
Charles Earland – Livin’ black – Prestige (1970)
Stanley Turrentine – Sugar - CTI (1970)
Leon Spencer – Sneak preview - Prestige (1970)

Jazz Crusaders - Crusaders #1 - Blue Thumb (1971)
Johnny ‘Hammond’ Smith – Breakout – Kudu (1971)
Grover Washington Jr – Inner city blues - Kudu (1971)
Donald Byrd – Black Byrd – Blue Note (1972)
Lou Donaldson – Sophisticated Lou – Blue Note (1972)
Charles Earland – Leaving this planet – Prestige (1973)

[GA Russell]

MG, was Lockjaw an important record? After all, it was important enough that Eddie Davis used its title in his name for the rest of his life!

[CJ Shearn]

Very interesting list!! Though I would say "Blackbyrd" has never turned me on despite it's massive important influence in funk, R&B, hip hop and DJ circles

Edited September 5, 2014 by CJ Shearn

[JSngry]

Important? Depends on your criteria, I suppose, but Patton's Understanding was that for me. Harold Alexander playing like he did, on an "organ record" GOOD GOD!

And Shirley Scott's This One's For Me...no bass player, no production artifacts, just Shrirley, Harold Vick, & Billy Higgins. Or does that not fit the bill of "Soul Jazz" per se?

Gotta be some Black Jazz items on there...Powerhouse, maybe?

Crusaders! Pick one! 2nd Crusade, maybe, the one with "Put It Where You Want It".

[etherbored]

And Shirley Scott's This One's For Me...no bass player, no production artifacts, just Shrirley, Harold Vick, & Billy Higgins. Or does that not fit the bill of "Soul Jazz" per se?

it's a great record, but i can't see it making the 'important' list next to so many other classics she waxed... then again, imho, every record she made was 'important'. and while we're on it, i'm cuckoo for the crusaders (as well as the jazz crusaders). 'the 2nd crusade' is a golden classic, as is its predecessor.

[etherbored]

neither 'layers' nor 'invitation to openness'....? add those.

[paul secor]

I'm pretty far from being a soul Jazz aficionado, but Willis Jackson's Bar Wars sounds like a very good one, to my ears.

And Baby Face Willette's Stop and Listen is an important one for me.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Important? Depends on your criteria, I suppose, but Patton's Understanding was that for me. Harold Alexander playing like he did, on an "organ record" GOOD GOD!

And Shirley Scott's This One's For Me...no bass player, no production artifacts, just Shrirley, Harold Vick, & Billy Higgins. Or does that not fit the bill of "Soul Jazz" per se?

Gotta be some Black Jazz items on there...Powerhouse, maybe?

Crusaders! Pick one! 2nd Crusade, maybe, the one with "Put It Where You Want It".

I thought a lot about putting 'Understanding' in. It's not supposed to be a list of incredible albums, though. I decided that the impact of Harold Alexander playing with an organ band wasn't really any more serious than Harold playing with Pucho & the LSB a few years before (which I also didn't put in).

Shirley got in with the Cookbooks and 'Hip soul', which was the first album she made with Stanley - less than a week before 'Dearly beloved' which also had no bass player. Remember, to be influential and important, a lot of people have got to hear something quite a bit or it won't spread and I don't think that was true for anything on Strata East (or Black Jazz, for that matter). But the impact of Stanley and Shirley was one hell of an impact.

I put the Crusaders first album, 'Freedom sound', in there. How can you decide that the twenty-first ('Crusaders 1') or twenty-second had more impact than the first album in a huge body of work? The first one stated clearly the principles which the band continued to follow. There were certainly better albums from them; 'Lighthouse '66' does it for me. But I'm not looking for good, great or even awesome.

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

neither 'layers' nor 'invitation to openness'....? add those.

Those are interesting albums from Les but I find it difficult to place them as influential. There are, of course, big gaps in my knowledge of jazz and it may be that they had impacts outside soul jazz. I'd be most obliged if you'd say a few things about those two albums.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I'm pretty far from being a soul Jazz aficionado, but Willis Jackson's Bar Wars sounds like a very good one, to my ears.

And Baby Face Willette's Stop and Listen is an important one for me.

'Bar wars' is undoubtedly the best album Gator made - even 'Star bag' isn't as good. But there's very much a sense in which it was the Gator mixture as before, but done to a turn.

As far as Baby Face is concerned, I had to restrain myself from putting them all in. 'Stop & listen' does show links back to his 1955 Vee-Jay single, which indicates his complete originality as a modern organist. But who knew in 1961? Well, apart from Baby Face himself. And 'Mo' rock' is just a blinder of an album, which expresses Baby Face's style rather better than the Blue Notes. So does '8 ball', but I put that in because it was the end of that little story.

MG

[soulpope]

This or any other Junior Mance outing - Jazz Piano rarely was more soulfull......

Edited September 5, 2014 by soulpope

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

MG, was Lockjaw an important record? After all, it was important enough that Eddie Davis used its title in his name for the rest of his life!

Not sure about this. Which came first, the nickname or the tune title? Here's what someone's said about it.

Some claim he adopted the moniker at an early recording session while creating titles for his compositions; "Lockjaw" consequently, became not only the name of a tune, but also an important part of his billing. Still others point to Davis’s habit of clamping down on his tenor saxophone with his mouth as the reason his nickname came about, leading observers to call him "Lockjaw."

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/eddie-davis#ixzz3CSsMfWHU

So it could be one thing, or another.

'Lockjaw' was recorded for the Haven label in 1946. I've never heard any of his material from that era (shock horror!) but as far as I know, no one's claimed this was an important record.

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

This or any other Junior Mance outing - Jazz Piano rarely was more soulfull......

Yes, that's a nice album. Much though I love Junior, I find it difficult to say that he was a wide influence.

Now, if Dan comes in, saying "there's no Three Sounds albums in there, what you playing at?" I claim ignorance because I don't know nearly as much as I should about them or Gene Harris himself. But I've got most of Junior's albums, including all of the ones before '77 except 2 of his Capitol jobs, and can't, therefore, claim ignorance. I'm always reminded of what Chuck Nessa says about him - Junior Mance is a very nice man and a very good piano player - or words to that effect.

But give it a go, Soulpope - tell us why you think that's an important moment in soul jazz history.

MG

[soulpope]

[JSngry]

Important? Depends on your criteria, I suppose, but Patton's Understanding was that for me. Harold Alexander playing like he did, on an "organ record" GOOD GOD!

And Shirley Scott's This One's For Me...no bass player, no production artifacts, just Shrirley, Harold Vick, & Billy Higgins. Or does that not fit the bill of "Soul Jazz" per se?

Gotta be some Black Jazz items on there...Powerhouse, maybe?

Crusaders! Pick one! 2nd Crusade, maybe, the one with "Put It Where You Want It".

I thought a lot about putting 'Understanding' in. It's not supposed to be a list of incredible albums, though. I decided that the impact of Harold Alexander playing with an organ band wasn't really any more serious than Harold playing with Pucho & the LSB a few years before (which I also didn't put in).

Shirley got in with the Cookbooks and 'Hip soul', which was the first album she made with Stanley - less than a week before 'Dearly beloved' which also had no bass player. Remember, to be influential and important, a lot of people have got to hear something quite a bit or it won't spread and I don't think that was true for anything on Strata East (or Black Jazz, for that matter). But the impact of Stanley and Shirley was one hell of an impact.

I put the Crusaders first album, 'Freedom sound', in there. How can you decide that the twenty-first ('Crusaders 1') or twenty-second had more impact than the first album in a huge body of work? The first one stated clearly the principles which the band continued to follow. There were certainly better albums from them; 'Lighthouse '66' does it for me. But I'm not looking for good, great or even awesome.

MG

Yeah, the first two are important to me personally, but I get your point about broader impact.

The Crusaders thing, (and I did get the album wrong, though, it was Crusaders 1, not 2nd Crusade. My bad on that one) I think in terms of market (as well as musical) impact, Crusaders 1 was/is more than a simple continuation of their previous sound. It was a commercially sucessful reimaging of it, and you probably didn't get those really big hits to come if this one didn't work like it did.

if I'm rembering my chronology, that's the first album that really broke through commercially with(and really, the first one to feature) their new "Crusaders" sound featuring grittier funk grooves and dominant electric guitar as a part of the group's sound (geez, Arthur Adams, Larry Carlton & David T, Walker all on the same record!). "Put It Where You Want It" got plenty of airplay in this area, and I think, nationwide.

The Chisa albums gave us the last Jazz Crusaders album as well as the first Crusaders album, and they were certainly "transitional". But neither of them had the new Crusaders sound with the guitars all up in there.like Crusaders 1 did, and that was the sound that got them up on top in the 70s. And Blue Thumb either was or soon got up in with ABC, so you had the successful marketing to go with an attractive new (or if you prefer, "updated") sound.

Doing research simultaneous with remembering reinforces my perception - Check the charts, this one cracked the Pop Top 100 and made it to #29 on the R&B charts. There was no turning back!

http://www.allmusic.com/album/1-mw0000337111/awards

Read all about it - in Billboard!

http://books.google.com/books?id=MAkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18&lpg=PA18&dq=crusaders+%22put+it+where+you+want+it%22+single+billboard&source=bl&ots=g6yqI6LGpZ&sig=VTIbFExFveLDPHspCi9wpz2dlBU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ev4JVPKiMMmxyATh6oHoCA&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=crusaders%20%22put%20it%20where%20you%20want%20it%22%20single%20billboard&f=false

Your honor, allowing for a misremembering of album title, the defense rests.

[soulpope]

This or any other Junior Mance outing - Jazz Piano rarely was more soulfull......

Yes, that's a nice album. Much though I love Junior, I find it difficult to say that he was a wide influence.

Now, if Dan comes in, saying "there's no Three Sounds albums in there, what you playing at?" I claim ignorance because I don't know nearly as much as I should about them or Gene Harris himself. But I've got most of Junior's albums, including all of the ones before '77 except 2 of his Capitol jobs, and can't, therefore, claim ignorance. I'm always reminded of what Chuck Nessa says about him - Junior Mance is a very nice man and a very good piano player - or words to that effect.

But give it a go, Soulpope - tell us why you think that's an important moment in soul jazz history.

MG

Important in Soul Jazz History - not sure whether I can cope with that ranking...but Junior Mance to me was as soulfull as it gets and based on the strength of his contributions a number of recordings, probably not even intentionally, just turned that way......an example ? Here we go :

Of course Martin Rivera and Oliver Jackson also didn`t hamper the soulfull groove....

Edited September 5, 2014 by soulpope

[sonnymax]

How do you define or describe "soul jazz"?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Important? Depends on your criteria, I suppose, but Patton's Understanding was that for me. Harold Alexander playing like he did, on an "organ record" GOOD GOD!

And Shirley Scott's This One's For Me...no bass player, no production artifacts, just Shrirley, Harold Vick, & Billy Higgins. Or does that not fit the bill of "Soul Jazz" per se?

Gotta be some Black Jazz items on there...Powerhouse, maybe?

Crusaders! Pick one! 2nd Crusade, maybe, the one with "Put It Where You Want It".

I thought a lot about putting 'Understanding' in. It's not supposed to be a list of incredible albums, though. I decided that the impact of Harold Alexander playing with an organ band wasn't really any more serious than Harold playing with Pucho & the LSB a few years before (which I also didn't put in).

Shirley got in with the Cookbooks and 'Hip soul', which was the first album she made with Stanley - less than a week before 'Dearly beloved' which also had no bass player. Remember, to be influential and important, a lot of people have got to hear something quite a bit or it won't spread and I don't think that was true for anything on Strata East (or Black Jazz, for that matter). But the impact of Stanley and Shirley was one hell of an impact.

I put the Crusaders first album, 'Freedom sound', in there. How can you decide that the twenty-first ('Crusaders 1') or twenty-second had more impact than the first album in a huge body of work? The first one stated clearly the principles which the band continued to follow. There were certainly better albums from them; 'Lighthouse '66' does it for me. But I'm not looking for good, great or even awesome.

MG

Yeah, the first two are important to me personally, but I get your point about broader impact.

The Crusaders thing, (and I did get the album wrong, though, it was Crusaders 1, not 2nd Crusade. My bad on that one) I think in terms of market (as well as musical) impact, Crusaders 1 was/is more than a simple continuation of their previous sound. It was a commercially sucessful reimaging of it, and you probably didn't get those really big hits to come if this one didn't work like it did.

if I'm rembering my chronology, that's the first album that really broke through commercially with their new "Crusaders" sound featuring grittier funk grooves and dominant electric guitar as a part of the group's sound (geez, Arthur Adams, Larry Carlton & David T, Walker all on the same record!). "Put It Where You Want It" got plenty of airplay in this area, and I think, nationwide.

The Chisa ablums gave us the last Jazz Crusaders album as well as the first Crusaders album, and they were certainly "transitional". But neither of them had the new Crusaders sound with the guitars all up in there.like Crusaders 1 did, and that was the sound that got them up on top in the 70s. And Blue Thumb either was or soon got up in with ABC, so you had the successful marketing to go with an attractive new (or if you prefer, "updated") sound.

Doing research simultaneous with remembering reinforces my perception - Check the charts, this one cracked the Pop Top 100 and made it to #29 on the R&B charts. There was no turning back!

http://www.allmusic.com/album/1-mw0000337111/awards

Read all about it - in Billboard!

http://books.google.com/books?id=MAkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA18&lpg=PA18&dq=crusaders+%22put+it+where+you+want+it%22+single+billboard&source=bl&ots=g6yqI6LGpZ&sig=VTIbFExFveLDPHspCi9wpz2dlBU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ev4JVPKiMMmxyATh6oHoCA&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=crusaders%20%22put%20it%20where%20you%20want%20it%22%20single%20billboard&f=false

Your honor, allowing for a misremembering of album title, the defense rests.

OK, you win that one Jim. Yeah, there WAS a change. Where it happened, I think, MAY have been 'Old socks, new shoes', which was a bigger hit than 'Crusaders 1' (particularly on the R&B charts), but followed up by the really great 'Pass the plate', which bombed from a hit point of view - still, you CAN'T expect to have a dance hit album when side 1 is all one track. So, "Old socks' was a false start.

I'll add 'Crusaders #1' to the list.

What I wonder - and I haven't got the album, so I don't know what it was like - is where 'Hollywood' fits in. I haven't got a proper date for it, either but it was on Mowest, one of Motown's labels. Was it recorded before the Chisas? I guess it might have been because Chisa was absorbed by Blue Thumb, which was absorbed by ABC. But I dunno. Got any ideas about this one, JIm?

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

How do you define or describe "soul jazz"?

In that other thread, I said that Bob Porter described it as jazz intended as entertainment for black adults.

It's really hard to define, especially as people like Milt Jackson and Sonny Stitt made bebop and hard bop and soul jazz records. But if you think about entertainment, dancing (including very slow dancing, perhaps horizontally), partying and the music that goes with that, and the music that could and would be affected by that, and could be and was affected by (and led) changes in popular black music, hey, you're getting there.

MG

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

This or any other Junior Mance outing - Jazz Piano rarely was more soulfull......

Yes, that's a nice album. Much though I love Junior, I find it difficult to say that he was a wide influence.

Now, if Dan comes in, saying "there's no Three Sounds albums in there, what you playing at?" I claim ignorance because I don't know nearly as much as I should about them or Gene Harris himself. But I've got most of Junior's albums, including all of the ones before '77 except 2 of his Capitol jobs, and can't, therefore, claim ignorance. I'm always reminded of what Chuck Nessa says about him - Junior Mance is a very nice man and a very good piano player - or words to that effect.

But give it a go, Soulpope - tell us why you think that's an important moment in soul jazz history.

MG

Important in Soul Jazz History - not sure whether I can cope with that ranking...but Junior Mance to me was as soulfull as it gets and based on the strength of his contributions a number of recordings, probably not even intentionally, just turned that way......an example ? Here we go :

Of course Martin Rivera and Oliver Jackson also didn`t hamper the soulfull groove....

Dex at Montreux is one of my favourite albums - and surely my favourite Dex. But as for it being an important soul jazz album, well, soul jazz had stopped developing by 1985, when it eventually issued, and was running the mixtures as before, under the guise of Acid Jazz. The album that was important for THAT was Don Wilkerson's 'Preach brother'; Don was regarded as God by the British DJs of the early eighties, after the LP was reissued by Pathe Marconi.

MG

[etherbored]

neither 'layers' nor 'invitation to openness'....? add those.

Those are interesting albums from Les but I find it difficult to place them as influential. There are, of course, big gaps in my knowledge of jazz and it may be that they had impacts outside soul jazz. I'd be most obliged if you'd say a few things about those two albums.

both on atlantic, 'invitation' was released in '72 and 'layers' in '73. these two records almost singlehandedly placed the fender and other synth(s) squarely in the center of the presentation and carved some incredible soundscapes.

a source as relatively clueless and mainstream as amg says this about 'layers';

This groundbreaking jazz synthesizer record is really unlike any other Les McCann ever made. Aside from a three-man percussion section and electric bassist Jimmy Rowser, Layers is entirely electronic, one of the first jazz albums with such an emphasis.

and this about 'invitation';

Label M has reissued the classic 1972 Les McCann album Invitation to Openness on CD with the majority of the tunes receiving the benefit of advanced technology. On this recording, the 26-minute "The Lovers" is more illustrative, freer in its essence and translation of the predominant free love theme of the '60s and '70s. Every nuance of McCann's stream of consciousness comes through loud and clear, as do the excellent solos by Yusef Lateef on a wide array of reeds, flutes, and percussion.

these two lp's don't adhere to your standard walk-the-bar/jukebox school of r&b cum jazz sessions, but by all means their infulence was far and wide and deserve a place in the collection of any open minded listener interested in an intelligent groove. whether they make any list is kind of irrelevent. if you don't know or haven't heard them, check them out.

Edited September 5, 2014 by etherbored

[JSngry]

MG -OSNS had a hit single with "Way Back Home", and did have some guitartage, was by The Jazz Crusaders, but to me was a pretty unfocused album overall. Great single, not a particularly good album, imo. Pass The Plate, same thing but with no hits. Of tangental/irrelevant interest is that both albums had Joe Sample tunes that would show up on the Bobby Hutherson San Francisco album.

Hollywood is an odd one. MoWest was definitely Motown-related, but so was Chisa at one time. Blue Thumb ended up as part of ABC, maybe always was(?) in terms of where the money came from...not sure about that. But Chisa moved to Blue Thumb, correct. That's outlined here: http://www.bsnpubs.com/motown/chisa/chisa.html

Here's an image of the back cover of Hollywood http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1508797

or, if Discogs phots can show up:

What Hollywood sounds like to me is either a leftovers album, a contractual fulfillment album, or maybe something that was going to be released anyway but got held up as Chisa proper dissolved/rebranded and Motwon got this Crusaders session as part of the settlement. It's fun, and has gotten better in hindsight, but it was on the shelves more or less concurrently with Crusaders 1, and that sucker was the one where it all came together, if you know what I mean, transition over, here we go. Or so it seemed...more transitions/changes were to come, for sure! But Hollywood, definitely still "transitional" relative to Crusaders 1. Sounds "older"

Funny to think how Larry Carlton might have been the pivot factor here...that guy gets a lot of guff in some quarters, but you look at what he did in his "brekathrough" years as a session player, how many different people he did it with, and how well he did it, hey...I think props are due, serious props. I mean, how many people could be crucial solo voices for both The Crusaders and Joni Mitchell? Although...Joni/L.A. Express is still part of the Crusaders/LA studio/crossover continuum. But that's another thing altogether, Joni Mitchell is probably not generally considered Soul Jazz.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

neither 'layers' nor 'invitation to openness'....? add those.

Those are interesting albums from Les but I find it difficult to place them as influential. There are, of course, big gaps in my knowledge of jazz and it may be that they had impacts outside soul jazz. I'd be most obliged if you'd say a few things about those two albums.

both on atlantic, 'invitation' was released in '72 and 'layers' in '73. these two records almost singlehandedly placed the fender and other synth(s) squarely in the center of the presentation and carved some incredible soundscapes.

a source as relatively clueless and mainstream as amg says this about 'layers';

This groundbreaking jazz synthesizer record is really unlike any other Les McCann ever made. Aside from a three-man percussion section and electric bassist Jimmy Rowser, Layers is entirely electronic, one of the first jazz albums with such an emphasis.

and this about 'invitation';

Label M has reissued the classic 1972 Les McCann album Invitation to Openness on CD with the majority of the tunes receiving the benefit of advanced technology. On this recording, the 26-minute "The Lovers" is more illustrative, freer in its essence and translation of the predominant free love theme of the '60s and '70s. Every nuance of McCann's stream of consciousness comes through loud and clear, as do the excellent solos by Yusef Lateef on a wide array of reeds, flutes, and percussion.

these two lp's don't adhere to your standard walk-the-bar/jukebox school of r&b cum jazz sessions, but by all means their infulence was far and wide and deserve a place in the collection of any open minded listener interested in an intelligent groove. whether they make any list is kind of irrelevent. if you don't know or haven't heard them, check them out.

I agree - but I fail to find soul jazz albums focusing on electronics, apart from 'Black Byrd' and its follow ups, and Black Byrd was first. Completely different groove, I'll agree, but that's where it was at in soul jazz and where it stayed for quite some time, through the work of the Blackbyrds and other similar bands.

But I guess what you're saying is that Les' two albums had an impact in the kinds of jazz I don't listen to much. I accept that may well be true, but...

We're not talking 'bout them

MG

[etherbored]

be that way.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

MG -OSNS had a hit single with "Way Back Home", and did have some guitartage, was by The Jazz Crusaders, but to me was a pretty unfocused album overall. Great single, not a particularly good album, imo. Pass The Plate, same thing but with no hits. Of tangental/irrelevant interest is that both albums had Joe Sample tunes that would show up on the Bobby Hutherson San Francisco album.

Hollywood is an odd one. MoWest was definitely Motown-related, but so was Chisa at one time. Blue Thumb ended up as part of ABC, maybe always was(?) in terms of where the money came from...not sure about that. But Chisa moved to Blue Thumb, correct. That's outlined here: http://www.bsnpubs.com/motown/chisa/chisa.html

Here's an image of the back cover of Hollywood http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1508797

or, if Discogs phots can show up:

What Hollywood sounds like to me is either a leftovers album, a contractual fulfillment album, or maybe something that was going to be released anyway but got held up as Chisa proper dissolved/rebranded and Motwon got this Crusaders session as part of the settlement. It's fun, and has gotten better in hindsight, but it was on the shelves more or less concurrently with Crusaders 1, and that sucker was the one where it all came together, if you know what I mean, transition over, here we go. Or so it seemed...more transitions/changes were to come, for sure! But Hollywood, definitely still "transitional" relative to Crusaders 1. Sounds "older"

Funny to think how Larry Carlton might have been the pivot factor here...that guy gets a lot of guff in some quarters, but you look at what he did in his "brekathrough" years as a session player, how many different people he did it with, and how well he did it, hey...I think props are due, serious props. I mean, how many people could be crucial solo voices for both The Crusaders and Joni Mitchell? Although...Joni/L.A. Express is still part of the Crusaders/LA studio/crossover continuum. But that's another thing altogether, Joni Mitchell is probably not generally considered Soul Jazz.

Thanks Jim, I didn't know all that about 'Hollywood'. I've added 'Crusaders #1' to the list, managing to spell it right after three attempts

MG