I like Marvin Cabell's sound. It's not the usual sort of tenor sound I like - nothing like Illinois, Jug or Gator Tail. It's what I think of - probably inaccurately - as a Chicago sound. A somewhat thin, very penetrating sound. Sonny Cox (admittedly an altoist) had this kind of sound (but a bit more strangled), and listening to Marvin also brings thoughts of Von Freeman and Rahsaan to mind. George Freeman has this kind of sound, too.
The guy made hardly any recordings and there's very little said about him in the sleeve notes to those he did make; sleeve notes were "out" in the late '60s/early '70s. And by the time "Memphis to New York spirit" came out in '96, probably no one knew anything about him.
As far as I know, he only made five recordings: John Patton's "Accent" (Aug '69) and "Memphis" (Oct '70)(plus the June '69 session split between those CDs); Lonnie Smith's "Mama Wailer" (Jul '71); and Johnny Lytle's "People and love" ( Aug '72). Plus, he wrote "Captain Nasty" - a fabulously fun burner - and "Village Lee" - one of the greeeeaazziiieesttt.
MG