Charles Earland - I Ain't Jivin', I'm Jammin'

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:37
Size: 134,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:55) 1. I Ain't Jivin', I'm Jammin'
( 8:47) 2. Thinking Of You
( 6:20) 3. City Lights
( 3:50) 4. One For Andre
( 7:11) 5. World Of Competition
( 8:16) 6. Sweety Pie
( 7:11) 7. Tell Like It Is
(10:03) 8. Cease The Bombing

The easy-going and the laid-back dominate I Ain't Jivin', I'm Jammin', an album that isn't quite in a class with Black Talk!, Whip Appeal or Unforgettable, but is nonetheless a welcome addition to Charles Earland's catalogue. The improviser swings hard and passionately on Wayne Shorter's "Tell It Like It Is," but his mellow side wins out on such congenial, groove-oriented jazz/R&B fare as pianist Neal Creque's "Cease the Bombing" and the originals "Sweety Pie," "World of Competition" and "Thinking of You." Even at his most relaxed, though, Earland's music is undeniably gritty. Among the noteworthy soloists employed this time are trombonist Clifford Adams, guitarist Oliver Nevels and the promising young tenor & soprano saxman Eric Alexander. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-aint-jivin-im-jammin-mw0000118692

Personnel: Electric Organ, Keyboards – Charles Earland; Bass – Darryl Jones; Drums – Steve Cobb; Guitar – Oliver Nevels; Percussion – Tony Carpenter; Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Eric Alexander; Trombone – Clifford Adams

I Ain't Jivin', I'm Jammin'

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Charles Earland - Unforgettable

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:52
Size: 105,1 MB
Art: Front

( 5:26)  1. Unforgettable
(12:48)  2. Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)
( 6:32)  3. Sheila
( 5:46)  4. Commitment to Love
( 4:52)  5. Heart Attack
( 6:52)  6. Yes, I Love Her
( 3:33)  7. The Kicker

Charles Earland is definitely a survivor. The Hammond hero had lost his first wife to cancer when he made a triumphant return to soul-jazz in the late '80s, and he had recovered from a major heart attack when he recorded the appropriately titled Unforgettable. Earland was in the Intensive Care Unit in August 1991, and by December 1991, was back in the studio to record this superb and varied CD. The Philadelphian stressed that he was lucky to be alive, and he celebrates his survival with imaginative interpretations of everything from Joe Henderson's "The Kicker" to Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable" (which he takes a medium speed instead of its usual ballad tempo) to Santana's "Europa." Earland has consistently demonstrated that commercial appeal and accessibility can go hand-in-hand with musical integrity, and Unforgettable is one of many fine examples. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/unforgettable-mw0000177413

Personnel: Organ – Charles Earland; Drums – Buddy Williams (tracks: 3, 4, 6, 7), Gregory Williams (6) (tracks: 1, 2, 5); Guitar – Oliver Nevels; Percussion – Lawrence Killian; Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Eric Alexander; Tenor Saxophone, Producer – Houston Person (tracks: 1, 5, 7); Trombone – Clifford Adams; Trumpet – Kenny Rampton

Unforgettable

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Eric Alexander - Alexander the Great

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:48
Size: 128,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:30)  1. Burner's Waltz
(6:02)  2. Let's Stay Together
(6:29)  3. God Bless The Child
(8:11)  4. Explosion
(5:24)  5. Through The Fire
(8:13)  6. Soft Winds
(5:56)  7. Born to Be Blue
(8:01)  8. Carrot Cake

Among the numerous projects in which Eric Alexander was involved during the nineteen- nineties (including a dozen records under his own name and approximately three times as many as a sideman) was his ongoing involvement in the soul-jazz band of the late Charles Earland. Alexander’s stint with “The Mighty Burner” was his first major gig after placing second to Joshua Redman in the Thelonious Monk competition for tenor saxophonists in 1991. For this disc recorded in 1997, Earland assumed the role of producer as well as playing the Hammond B3 organ. In contrast to Alexander’s regular, straight-ahead fare as a leader for a number of record labels, Alexander the Great pretty much sticks to the formula of Earland’s popular recordings for Muse and HighNote, with an emphasis on funk and soul grooves. The material includes a couple of crowd-pleasing pop tunes (“Let’s Stay Together” and “Through the Fire”), some standards (“God Bless the Child,” “Soft Winds,” and “Born To Be Blue,”), and originals by Alexander and guitarist Peter Bernstein. Trumpeter James Rotondi’s (another veteran of Earland’s bands) crackling, bop-oriented solos are among the disc’s highlights, especially on Alexander’s “Burner’s Waltz.” Bernstein contributes turns filled with bluesy inflections. Drummer Joe Farnsworth wisely doesn’t try to compete with the hum and rumble of Earland’s organ; instead, he keeps good time and spurs everyone on with precise accents and fills. Although Alexander plays well throughout the entire disc, it is during his composition, appropriately titled “Explosion,” that he proves why he’s one of the finest young tenor players in jazz. He tears through the changes of the up-tempo tune for several choruses with great intensity and a seemingly endless supply of ideas. I dare say that Sonny Stitt (a formative influence) and George Coleman (a mentor) would be proud of him. ~ David A. Orthmann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/alexander-the-great-eric-alexander-review-by-david-a-orthmann.php

Personnel:  Eric Alexander – tenor saxophone; James Rotondi – trumpet; Charles Earland – Hammond B3 organ; Peter Bernstein – guitar; Joe Farnsworth – drums

Alexander the Great

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Charles Earland Tribute Band - Keepers of the Flame

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:06
Size: 138,4 MB
Art: Front

( 6:42)  1. Deja Vu
( 7:43)  2. Memorial Day
( 6:37)  3. What Love Has Joined
( 7:25)  4. South Philly Groove
( 5:34)  5. On the Stairs
( 7:42)  6. The Closer I Get to You
( 7:52)  7. The Summit
(10:28)  8. Pick Up the Pieces

Organist Charles Earland, who died in December 1999, was known as “The Mighty Burner.” The intensity of his swing resembled that of the late Art Blakey on drums. An exponent of soul-jazz, Earland was a master of the organ’s foot pedals. His band, usually two or three horns plus guitar and drums, conveyed a big, kicking ensemble sound. The Charles Earland Tribute Band steps in without letdown where the organist left off. With Joey DeFrancesco in the organ seat and five former sidemen from Earland’s band aboard, this album swings hard, with conviction and intelligence. Drummer Vincent Ector organized the group, which features trumpeter James Rotondi, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander and guitarist Bob DeVos (alternating with Pat Martino). Percussionist Kevin Jones, a nonalum, appears on four of the eight tracks. Three well-known hits from the ’70s-“Deja Vu” (originally sung by Dionne Warwick), “The Closer I Get to You” (originally sung by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway) and the Average White Band’s “Pick Up the Pieces”-recall Earland’s ability to find his own jazz groove on pop material. Both hornmen, members of the organist’s final group, sizzle especially well on “Pick Up the Pieces.” Martino, a member of Earland’s first organ group and the most famous participant on the album, performs on three cuts. His “On the Stairs” is a challenging original that each soloist successfully conquers. DeFrancesco, who initiated the current jazz-organ renaissance a decade ago, suggests Earland without slavishly imitating him. His solos are a bit busier than were Earland’s, but his ensemble sound is perfect. The arrangements, uncredited, deserve special mention for their full-sounding harmonies and rhythmic punch. ~ Owen Cordle https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/charles-earland-tribute-band-keepers-of-the-flame/

Personnel:  Jim Rotondi - trumpet;  Eric Alexander - tenor sax;  Joey DeFrancesco - organ;  Pat Martino , Bob DeVos - guitar;  Vince Ector - drums

Keepers of the Flame

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Charles Earland & Odyssey - Revelation

Styles: Piano, Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:36
Size: 88,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:30)  1. Betty Boop
(6:49)  2. Ode To Chicken George
(6:45)  3. Revelation
(4:10)  4. Shining Bright
(4:42)  5. Singing A Song For You
(7:44)  6. Elizabeth
(2:53)  7. I Wish

Charles Earland came into his own at the tail-end of the great 1960s wave of soul-jazz organists, gaining a large following and much airplay with a series of albums for the Prestige label. While heavily indebted to Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff, Earland came armed with his own swinging, technically agile, light-textured sound on the keyboard and one of the best walking-bass pedal techniques in the business. Though not an innovative player in his field, Earland burned with the best of them when he was on. Earland actually started his musical experiences surreptitiously on his father's alto sax as a kid, and when he was in high school, he played baritone in a band that also featured fellow Philadelphians Pat Martino on guitar, Lew Tabackin on tenor, and yes, Frankie Avalon on trumpet. After playing in the Temple University band, he toured as a tenor player with McGriff for three years, became infatuated with McGriff's organ playing, and started learning the Hammond B-3 at intermission breaks. When McGriff let him go, Earland switched to the organ permanently, forming a trio with Martino and drummer Bobby Durham. He made his first recordings for Choice in 1966, then joined Lou Donaldson for two years (1968-1969) and two albums before being signed as a solo artist to Prestige. Earland's first album for Prestige, Black Talk!, became a best-selling classic of the soul-jazz genre; a surprisingly effective cover of the Spiral Starecase's pop/rock hit "More Today Than Yesterday" from that LP received saturation airplay on jazz radio in 1969. He recorded eight more albums for Prestige, one of which featured a young unknown Philadelphian named Grover Washington, Jr., then switched to Muse before landing contracts with Mercury and Columbia. 

By this time, the organ trio genre had gone into eclipse, and in the spirit of the times, Earland acquired some synthesizers and converted to pop/disco in collaboration with his wife, singer/songwriter Sheryl Kendrick. Kendrick's death from sickle-cell anemia in 1985 left Earland desolate, and he stopped playing for awhile, but a gig at the Chickrick House on Chicago's South Side in the late '80s brought him out of his grief and back to the Hammond B-3. Two excellent albums in the old soul-jazz groove for Milestone followed, and the '90s found him returning to the Muse label. Earland died of heart failure on December 11, 1999, the morning after playing a gig in Kansas City; he was 58.~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/charles-earland-mn0000204850/biography

Personnel:  Organ, Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Arp String Synthesizer], Clavinet, Piano – Charles Earland  Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Arthur Grant;   Trumpet – Randy Brecker;  Bass – Paul Jackson;   Drums – Harvey Mason;  Guitar – Eric Gale;    

Revelation

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Lou Donaldson - Hot Dog

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:08
Size: 89.6 MB
Styles: Soul/Jazz/Funk
Year: 1969/2015
Art: Front

[ 6:43] 1. Who's Making Love
[ 7:52] 2. Turtle Walk
[ 4:53] 3. Bonnie
[10:41] 4. Hot Dog
[ 8:57] 5. It's Your Thing

Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson; Drums – Leo Morris; Guitar – Melvin Sparks; Organ – Charles Earland; Trumpet – Ed Williams. Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on April 25, 1969.

The soul-jazz format provides a most satisfying canvas for Donaldson’s distinctive soaring, blues-inflected runs. Eagle-eyed readers will note in the pictures Lou has an effects box strapped to his chest – so he can add reverb or whatever on the fly to his electronic alto. 1969. Electronic instruments were beginning to take hold.

Earland eschews JS fireworks for rhythmic propulsion, with only occasional assaults on the upper register. When he stretches out, long ascending and descending arpeggios which wouldn’t be out of place in any late ’60s prog-rock band, Jon Lord, Keith Emerson or Rick Wakeman, music of its time. Melvyn Sparks neat linear guitar runs serve up a Grant Green tribute act, perfect in context. Together, the ensemble delivers a cracking ten minute floor filler, or, on specialist orthopaedic advice, sit out for a finger-poppin’ session on the sofa. ~https://londonjazzcollector.wordpress.com

Hot Dog mc
Hot Dog zippy

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Lou Donaldson - Everything I Play Is Funky

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:43
Size: 88.6 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1970/1995
Art: Front

[5:26] 1. Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky (From Now On)
[6:37] 2. Hamp's Hump
[7:12] 3. Over The Rainbow
[6:44] 4. Donkey Walk
[6:27] 5. West Indian Daddy
[6:15] 6. Minor Bash

Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson; Bass Guitar [Fender Bass] – Jimmy Lewis; Drums – Idris Muhammad; Guitar – Melvin Sparks; Organ – Charles Earland, Lonnie Smith; Trumpet – Blue Mitchell, Eddie Williams. Recorded on August 22, 1969 & January 9, 1970.

Although purists might not find it as much to their taste as Midnight Creeper, Everything I Play Is Funky is easily one of the best examples of Lou Donaldson's commercially accessible period of the late '60s and early '70s. Donaldson's forays into funk and R&B-driven soul-jazz could sometimes sound stiff, but the grooves here -- which feature many of the same players -- are consistently limber and unforced. And, typical of the style, the grooves (not adventurous improvisation) are what make the album tick. For once, Donaldson's attempt at an R&B cover -- in this case, the Lee Dorsey-sung, Allen Toussaint-penned "Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky (From Now On)" -- is pulled off well enough to make for an entirely convincing statement of purpose. That number kicks off an entertaining program also highlighted by three Donaldson originals -- the cooking funk number "Donkey Walk," which seems to inspire the fieriest solos on the record, the cheery calypso "West Indian Daddy," and the hard bop-flavored "Minor Bash." There's also a version of "Over the Rainbow" done in Donaldson's caressing, melodic ballad style, and the simple funk vamp "Hamp's Hump." It's a nicely varied assortment, all anchored by the percolating rhythm section of guitarist Melvin Sparks, bassist Jimmy Lewis, and drummer Idris Muhammad (Charles Earland and Dr. Lonnie Smith switch off on organ, and Blue Mitchell and Eddie Williams do the same on trumpet). This is the sort of record that modern-day Donaldson disciples like the Sugarman Three cherish, and one of his few truly consistent efforts in this style. Recommended wholeheartedly to funk and rare-groove fans. ~Steve Huey

Everything I Play Is Funky mc
Everything I Play Is Funky zippy

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Irene Reid - I Ain't Doing Too Bad

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:07
Size: 105,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:12)  1. What Now My Love
(5:09)  2. I Ain't Doing Too Bad
(5:23)  3. All My Tomorrows
(4:43)  4. Sweet Lotus Blossom
(4:10)  5. Your Mind Is On Vacation
(6:20)  6. Once There Lived A Fool
(6:33)  7. Walking On A Tightrope
(8:36)  8. More Today Than Yesterday

At age 65, Irene Reid sounds quite good on I Ain't Doing Too Bad, her second comeback CD. Organist Charles Earland joins in with his group, trumpeter James Rotundi and tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander solo with their usual marvelous aplomb, and guitarist Bob DeVos and drummer Greg Rockingham fill in the rhythmic cracks nicely. Reid's voice is an even mix of the cute sassiness of Helen Humes and the soulful fullness of Etta Jones. Her predilection, or even forte, leans toward groove-oriented versions of pop tunes, which Earland is also known for interpreting; the hard charging "What Now My Love?" and the eight-plus minute "I Love You More Today Than Yesterday" are perfect examples, Earland stretching the latter's bridge with his always burning or staggered phrase B-3 solo. Better choices include the Mose Allison warhorse "Your Mind Is on Vacation" and a clever blues waltz treatment of the Stevie Ray Vaughan-Doyle Bramhall tune that Johnny Adams did to death: "Walkin' on a Tightrope." Where Adams was smouldering, Reid is simply cool. "Sweet Lotus Blossom" features Alexander's ripe tenor, while Rotundi's shades background silhouettes during the ballad "All My Tomorrows." DeVos varies from steely lines for his solo on the title track, or goes Wes Montgomery for the regret filled, seemingly autobiographical "Once There Lived a Fool." Able to turn on a dime from hopeful to sorrowful, Reid is as convincing a singer as she is talented. Hopefully a few more chestnuts like this one will spring forth before she's done. Biggest regret: the CD is just short of 46-minutes in length. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-aint-doing-too-bad-mw0000602940 

Personnel: Irene Reid (vocals); Eric Alexander (tenor saxophone); James Rotondi (trumpet); Charles Earland (Hammond B-3 organ); Bob DeVos (guitar); Greg Rockingham (drums).             

I Ain't Doing Too Bad

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Charles Earland - Living Black

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:56
Size: 128.0 MB
Styles: Jazz/Funk/Soul
Year: 1970/2009
Art: Front

[ 9:43] 1. Key Club Cookout
[ 8:25] 2. Westbound #9
[14:31] 3. Killer Joe
[ 4:36] 4. Milestones
[ 8:26] 5. More Today Than Yesterday
[10:13] 6. Message From A Black Man

Recorded in 1970 at the Key Club, Living Black! is notable for many reasons, not the least of which is that it showcased Earland in an inspired live setting. From choosing his sidemen to the material to reading the audience to pure instrumental execution, there isn't a weak moment on this date, nor a sedentary one. Earland makes the band roll on all burners from the git and never lets up. Consisting of four extended tunes, there's the burning rhythm and stomp of "Key Club Cookout," which blazes with wisdom and funky fire. Earland's own soloing is revelatory, but it is the way he drags absolutely unexpected performances from his sidemen that makes him so special as a bandleader. Grover Washington never played like this again-- at least on a record--deep in the soul groove on his tenor, he turned it inside out, looking for new embouchures in which to get the sounds out of the horn. He dug deep inside his trick bag and left no one wanting. Likewise, guitarist Maynard Parker, who came from the Chicago blues school, gets to exercise that side of his West Side soul personality -- check out his break on "Westbound No. 9." "Killer Joe," the longest track on the record is swaggering blues strut. It features a slow, strolling horn line from Washington and trumpeter Gary Chandler that opens out onto a gorgeous pastoral frame before popping out with the blues feel once again. Parker's guitar playing fills all the places Earland chooses not to, so the band's density is total. There is a moving short version of "Milestones" that closes the set, but it wasn't even necessary. Everybody who was there had their minds blown long before. ~Thom Jurek

Living Black

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Charles Earland - Front Burner

Styles: Jazz, Straight-ahead/Mainstream  
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:15
Size: 101,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:33)  1. Moonlighting (Theme)
(7:27)  2. My Two Sons
(5:18)  3. I Will Always Love Her
(5:22)  4. Gospel Time
(9:51)  5. Mom and Dad
(6:25)  6. Can You Wait
(5:15)  7. Kickin' the '3

Charles Earland is among the most consistent of organists, with nearly every one of his recordings on that instrument (as opposed to his interlude on synthesizers) being easily recommended to soul-jazz and hard bop collectors. For this CD, Earland heads a sextet also including trumpeter Virgil Jones (long an underrated player), Bill Easley on tenor, guitarist Bobby Broom, drummer Buddy Williams and occasionally Frank Colon on conga. Other than a throw-away version of the theme from Moonlighting, the mostly basic music on this set is rewarding, with Earland infusing the tunes with plenty of grease and funk. ~ Scott Yanow

Personnel: Charles Earland (organ); Bobby Broom (guitar); Bill Easley (tenor saxophone); Virgil Jones (trumpet); Buddy Williams (drums); Frank Colon (congas)

Front Burner

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Charles Earland - Whip Appeal

Styles: Jazz, Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:35
Size: 96,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:31)  1. Songbird
(8:43)  2. Whip Appeal
(7:08)  3. Burner's Desire
(3:47)  4. No Brain, No Pain
(7:21)  5. Eight After Ten
(8:05)  6. More Today Than Yesterday

A jazz version of Babyface's "Whip Appeal"? It's hard to believe, but then, Charles Earland has always had an impressive ability to recontextualize pop and R&B songs that seem the most unlikely vehicles for jazz improvisation. On this fine CD, which marked the end of his association with Muse Records, Earland transforms that urban contemporary number into hard-swingin' soul-jazz, successfully revisits the Spiral Starecase's "More Today Than Yesterday," and adds a lot of grit and spice to something not exactly known for those things: Kenny G's "Songbird." The latter does have a pretty melody, and it becomes quite soulful in the imaginative hands of Earland -- whose excellent support includes fellow Philadelphian Johnny Coles (flugelhorn) and longtime ally Houston Person (tenor sax). ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/whip-appeal-mw0000645957

Personnel: Charles Earland (organ); Robert Block (guitar); Jeff Newell (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Houston Person (tenor saxophone); Johnny Coles (flugelhorn); Marvin Jones (drums); Lawrence Killian (percussion)

Whip Appeal

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Irene Reid - The Uptown Lowdown

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:26
Size: 90,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:41)  1. I'm Walkin'
(5:47)  2. Candy
(4:43)  3. Mamma, He Treats Your Daughter Mean
(5:06)  4. I Believe I Can Fly
(5:20)  5. I'll Take You Back
(4:02)  6. If I Never Get To Heaven
(5:16)  7. Me and Mr. Jones
(4:28)  8. Long John Blues

Irene Reid is a survivor, a voice from a golden age of jazz and blues singers. In the 1960s, she toured with Count Basie and recorded for Verve, then disappeared for decades, only to sound better than ever on a trio of CDs with organist Charles Earland before his death in late 1999. Like its predecessors, The Uptown Lowdown is relaxed, soulful, elemental music roots with elegance. Reid sings in a style at the early intersection of jazz and R&B, with a sweet and gritty voice that recalls Dinah Washington and Ruth Brown. She covers some of their songs here, but she gives them her own spin, swinging mightily with a phrasing as natural as speech. She draws with ease on wellsprings of feeling, from a secure plaintiveness to bawdy humor, adding her own depths to "Me and Mr. Jones" and infusing a gospel spirit into the contemporary R&B of Robert Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly." Earland builds potent grooves with drummer Greg Rockingham and blends his organ keyboards with two tenors and trumpet, creating a lush carpet of sound for Reid's rich voice. Eric Alexander contributes some booting tenor solos, and guitarist Bill Boris adds cutting, soulful blues. ~ Stuart Broomer https://www.amazon.com/Uptown-Lowdown-Irene-Reid/dp/B00000DUC6

Personnel: Irene Reid (vocals); Eric Alexander,  Mike Karn (tenor saxophone); James Rotondi (trumpet); Charles Earland (Hammond B3 organ); Bill Boris (guitar); Greg Rockingham (drums).

The Uptown Lowdown

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Eric Gale - Touch Of Silk

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:43
Size: 89,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:46)  1. You Got My Life In Your Hands
(5:06)  2. Touch Of Silk
(4:19)  3. War Paint
(4:33)  4. Once In A Smile
(6:32)  5. With You I'm Born Again
(8:42)  6. Au Privave
(4:42)  7. Live To Love

In 1980, guitarist and composer Eric Gale came off the commercial success of 1979's Part of You (produced by Ralph MacDonald) and didn't do the obvious thing. Rather than make another record that swung for the smooth jazz fences, he made a darker, deeper, funkier, and bluesier album with legendary New Orleans producer Allen Toussaint. The sessions included the cream of the Crescent City's jazz-funk crop as well as mates Charlie Earland, Grover Washington, Jr., and Idris Muhammad, three of soul-jazz's greatest lights with special guest Arthur Blythe on the Charlie Parker nugget "Au Privave" as a curve ball. Toussaint wrote four of the album's seven tracks, and they range from the murky blue soul-jazz of "You Got My Life in Your Hands" to the sweet, boudoir-perfect urban-styled title track. Gale is a consummate soloist, full of lilting and biting grooves, with stunning phrasing that maximizes the rhythmic effect of his high strings (such as on "War Paint"), and he never plays an extra note. The beautiful ballad "With You I'm Born Again" has Washington playing some of his most haunting soprano, and the wildly funked-up "Au Privave," a holdover from the bop generation that keeps its original flavor despite the three-instrument front line of Earland's B-3, Blythe's alto, and Gale's chunky bottom strings (which are accented in his comping through the changes), is nothing short of astonishing. This is one of the great versions of the tune, especially in this modern context, and offers solid proof of Gale's bebop roots. This is an even better side available in the U.S., but only as an expensive Japanese import.~Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/touch-of-silk-mw0000740343

Personnel:  Bass - David Barard;  Drums - Idris Muhammad, James Black;  Guitar - Eric Gale;  Keyboards - Allen R. Toussaint, Robert Dabon;  Organ - Charles Earland;  Percussion - Kenneth Williams;  Producer - Allen R. Toussaint;  Saxophone - Arthur Blythe,Gary Brown, Grover Washington, Jr., Harold Vick

Touch Of Silk

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Willis Jackson - Bar Wars

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:34
Size: 104,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:56)  1. Later
(3:04)  2. Blue and Sentimental
(7:03)  3. Bar Wars
(4:55)  4. The Breeze and I
(5:05)  5. The Goose Is Loose
(7:13)  6. It's All Right With Me
(5:14)  7. The Breeze and I
(7:02)  8. It's All Right With Me

The late great Gator is back in this reissue by Joel Dorn's 32 Jazz of Willis "Gator" Jackson's 1978 Muse release, Bar Wars. The title is apt: W. A. Brower states it straightforwardly in his liner notes: "His music is my idea of popular music (not to be confused with pop musics which are a wholly different species), because wherever you go from Boston to Chicago and of course in Gator's favorite, Atlantic City there is a Club Harlem, a Baby Grand or a Showcase or an Ebony Inn where the music on this record is the music." Standrard R&B-flavored organ-tenor bar jazz it may be, but the late Mr. Jackson was one of its foremost exponents, and Bar Wars one of his most consistently pleasing products. His tone is gruff and grainy, in the tradition of all the booting R&B tenors in bars far and wide across this great land. He is joined here not only by the nimble Charlie Earland on organ, but by none other than Pat Martino, whose guitar is exuberant and strongly deployed. Then there’s Idris Muhammad on drums, so there's no doubt that the proceedings move along briskly from start to finish. Muhammad is propulsive without being flashy, yet on tracks like "The Breeze and I," he shows how much a jazz drummer differs from an ordinary R&B or rock and roll timekeeper (not that his timing isn't rock solid). Buddy Caldwell provides some congas for color.

Jackson adds two originals, the title track and "The Goose is Loose" to an otherwise fairly standard good-time music program. Brower observes, "He makes no pretenses and no matter the raised eyebrows of the highbrows there is nothing wrong with old favorites. With Gator what it is...is...what it is..." "What it is" is a fine lather worked up by Martino and Earland on "The Goose is Loose" before Gator steps up with his electric "a little bit louder now" routine. It's a breathy Willis (is he playing his long, straight Gator sax?) lovin you, baby, on "Blue and Sentimental." It's a sharper, brighter-toned Gator charging through Cole Porter's "It's All Right With Me" in a solo bound to remind the avants that ‘Trane himself played an awful lot of this kind of music, and never really lost the feel for it. After the organ solo he returns with just the sort of keening entrance ‘Trane used to such great effect in such different surroundings on Kind of Blue. These two had some common sources. Bar Wars is rounded out with alternate takes of "The Breeze and I" and "It's All Right with Me." It isn't as if Willis brings any radically different concept to these, but they are just as pleasant and straightforward as the masters. All in all, Bar Wars is very fine organ-tenor jazz / R&B. It's much more energetic and sincere than most of today's "smooth jazz" synthesized funk workouts. Willis Jackson is a first-rate "tennaman," surrounded here by first-rate sidemen commendation should not escape Martino, but check out Earland on "It's All Right with Me." New (old) meaning to the word electric.~Robert Spencer http://www.allaboutjazz.com/bar-wars-32-records-review-by-robert-spencer.php

Personnel:  Willis Jackson - tenor saxophone;  Charles Earland – organ;  Pat Martino – guitar;  Idris Muhammad – drums;  Buddy Caldwell – congas, percussion

Bar Wars

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Charles Earland - Funk Fantastique

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Jazz Soul

Year: 2004

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 60:11

Size: 138,2 MB

Art: Front

(10:50)  1. Funk Fantastique

( 5:05)  2. Don't Let Me Lose This Dream

( 6:09)  3. Never Can Say Goodbye

( 6:10)  4. Charles III

( 4:58)  5. Girl, You Need A Change Of Mind

( 8:39)  6. Auburn Delight

( 5:58)  7. My Favorite Things

( 7:45)  8. Grab Hole A Dish

( 4:33)  9. Speedball Alternate

Although Funk Fantastique is a somewhat thrown-together affair, the music presented on the album represents solid work by organist/keyboardist Charles Earland and company. The material at the center of the album (tracks four through seven) was originally released as Charles III in 1972, and the surrounding tracks are previously unreleased. Since the unreleased material comes from two different sessions, three different ensembles grace Funk Fantastique. The presence of singer Joe Lee Wilson on the dated "Auburn Delight" (think cheesy '70s jazz) offers even more variety. Through it all, though, Earland's funky organ and keyboard brings all the material together under the banner of soul-jazz. Even on an unsuccessful and sexist piece like "Auburn Delight," Earland's organ work has a brisk, spunky quality that makes the instrumental portion of the song sparkle. Much better, however, are "Charles III" and "Girl, You Need a Change of Mind," both supported by large, energetic horn sections. There's also some solid guitar work from Jack Turner on the latter piece. Among the unreleased tracks, there's a fun version of "Never Can Say Goodbye," the old Jackson 5 hit, with nice soprano work by Jimmy Vass. Funk Fantastique never ties up all of its loose ends, but it nonetheless lives up to its title. ~ Ronnie D.Lankford Jr http://www.allmusic.com/album/funk-fantastique-mw0000636648

Personnel: Charles Earland (soprano saxophone, electric piano, organ, percussion); Billy Harper (tenor, alto flute, tenor saxophone); William Thorpe (baritone); William Thorpe (baritone saxophone); Richard Gene Williams , Richard Williams (trumpet, flugelhorn); Lee Morgan Quintet (trumpet); Larry Killian, Lawrence Killian (congas); Joe Lee Wilson (vocals); Jack Turner (guitar, percussion); Maynard Parker (guitar); Stuart Scharf (acoustic guitar); Hubert Laws (flute, piccolo); Seldon Powell (alto flute, baritone saxophone); Jimmy Vass (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Houston Person (tenor saxophone); Jon Faddis, Victor Paz, Joe Shepley (trumpet, flugelhorn); Gary Chandler, Virgil Jones (trumpet); Jack Jeffers (trombone, tuba); Dick Griffin, Garnett Brown (trombone); Darryl Washington (drums, percussion); Jesse Kilpatrick, Billy Cobham (drums); Buddy Caldwell, Sonny Morgan (congas).

Funk Fantastique

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Charles Earland - Organomically Correct

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 73:56

Size: 169.3 MB

Styles: Organ jazz

Year: 2009

Art: Front

[ 3:43] 1. The Dozens

[ 4:41] 2. Red, Green And Black Blues

[ 7:36] 3. Undecided

[ 5:22] 4. Old Folks

[ 3:45] 5. A Prayer

[ 7:24] 6. Organic Blues

[ 6:13] 7. Three Blind Mice

[ 5:03] 8. We Are Not Alone

[11:47] 9. Blues For Rudy

[ 7:09] 10. The Thang

[ 6:15] 11. Infant Eyes

[ 4:53] 12. Is It Necessary

Organist Charles Earland recorded nine albums for the Muse label between 1977 and 1995. None stand out particularly, but each had its share of solid, organ-combo swing and programs of mostly blues and ballads. Organomically Correct compiles some of the early highlights in Earland's Muse output: four of the six tracks from Mama Roots (1977), three of the five tracks from Pleasant Afternoon (1978) and all five tracks from Infant Eyes (1978). This music was all recorded between Earland's more commercial (and less memorable) outings on Mercury and Columbia and catch the organ grinder in a kind of Jimmy Smith bag (reinforced even more when paired with Wes-like guitarist Jimmy Ponder on half of the CD's tracks). While the funk and the fire in Earland's playing had been missing since at least his last Prestige record (1974), there's an insistently melodic and appealing groove throughout this set. Another advantage is that two thirds of the tunes here are Earland originals: slow burners that really let the organist cook nicely on a low flame. There are several nice features for George Coleman on tenor sax and Frank Wess on flute too. A surprisingly cohesive set with an enjoyable after-hours feel. ~Douglas Payne

Charles Earland: organ; George Coleman, Houston Person, Mack Goldsbury: tenor sax; Frank Wess: flute and tenor sax; Bill Hardman: trumpet; Jimmy Ponder, Melvin Sparks: guitar; Walter Perkins, Bobby Durham, Grady Tate: drums; Ralph Dorsey, Lawrence Killian: percussion.

Organomically Correct

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