*Jimmy McGriff - Tailgunner. 1977 Lester Radio promo (LP). From T&R sale (Aug). Of all the albums from this haul, this is the one I was most looking forward to. And I was rewarded with the best listen in the stack (along with a metal album that you'll see whenever I publish that journal - it was a very eclectic sale). McGriff is well known as a soul jazz Hammond B-3 player, sort of like a friendlier version of Larry Young. By the 70s, he'd hopped onto the jazz funk train like everyone else. Four out of the six tracks are written by the songwriting team of Brad Baker and Lance Quinn and they are all aces. Fantastic melodies, good grooves, and fine soloing. The title track even sports a hard rock edge that is quite appealing in this setting. Guitarist Jerry Friedman's Bullfrog is a fun track, also with a strong rhythm. However this was in the era when everyone was trying hard for a signature dance tune. And "Dancing The Bullfrog" didn't make the cut lol. McGriff's one composition closes the album and is arguably the weakest track here, harkening back to an earlier era but with a disco beat. To make a great salad, one needs to do more than pour new dressing on old lettuce. Very nice gatefold cover too.
*Yamashta / Winwood / Shrieve - Go. 1976 Island (LP). From a thrift shop (Jul). All these years and I still hadn't heard this album. It's much better than I thought it would be. A strange combination of high flying fusion and electronics, with some art rock thrown in. Al Di Meola gets in some mean licks and Klaus Schulze brings his signature synthesizer sounds. The art rock sections recall later era Far East Family Band. This is an album I think I'd rather have on CD. I'll keep an eye out for a cheap copy of the Esoteric release.
*Gabor Szabo - Rambler. 1974 CTI (LP). Trade credit from What's Left (Jul). Standard issue Szabo album with lightly amplified acoustic guitar strummed over instrumental jazz rock. Bassist Wolfgang Melz is the centerpiece of the album, having written five of the six songs. His playing is also very noticeable. Not one of my favorites from Szabo but good enough to keep for now.
*Milt Jackson - Sunflower. 1973 CTI (LP). From the same place as the Hawkins (Jul). I usually don't get very excited when knowing an album is jazz with vibes in the lead. But on Sunflower the album is more moody, and the vibes remind me of how they are used in Krautrock at times. Freddie Hubbard's title track has a great melody too. Features an all-star cast of jazzers.
Coleman Hawkins with Kenny Burrell & Ray Bryant - Soul. 1962 Swingville Stereo (LP) (1958). From an estate sale warehouse (Jul). Pleasant jazz jazz.
Herbie Hancock - Secrets. 1976 Columbia (LP). Thrift shop find (Jul). Still heavy on the funk though some of the tunes are becoming caricatures of the sound. Nevertheless a solid entry for the genre, but I have way too much of it as it is.
*The Headhunters - Straight from the Gate. 1977 Arista promo (LP). More from that large fusion/soul garage sale buy (Jul). A mix of hard hitting instrumental jazz fusion and funky vocal numbers. They succeed on all accounts. Some great guitar from future P-Funk member Obsidian Blackbyrd.
Cannonball Adderley and the Bossa Rio Sextet with Sergio Mendes. 1968 Capitol (LP) (1963). Thrift shop find (Jul). I've become a huge Bossa Nova fan, and in particular I really enjoy Sergio Mendes. But this album is way too friendly in a jazz standard kind of way. Doesn't have the melodic magic of Mendes' later works. Maybe it's just the sax playing - doesn't translate well.
Bobby Timmons - Workin' Out! 1965 Prestige (LP). Beautiful original copy found at an antique mall for a fraction of going rates (Jul). More trad jazz with Johnny Lytle's vibes all over it. Pleasant but not my thing.
* - Keeping for the collection
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