Thunderbird
Artist: Willis "Gator" Jackson

Right from the title track opener, it's apparent that Jackson's heading straight for basic soul-jazz. Anchoring the composition around a basic R&B riff and Jackson's wailing tenor, it's the kind of song that could have been used just as well for teenage twisting as jazz bars, which is not to its detriment at all. While the cover of "California... Read More

Les McCann Sings
Artist: Les McCann

A super set with Ben Webster (ts) and Groove Holmes on organ. Soul-jazz and blues at their best. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide Read More

Born to Be Blue
Artist: Bobby Timmons

Throughout his career, Bobby Timmons was typecast as a soulful and blues-oriented pianist due to his hits ("Moanin '," "This Here" and "Dis Dat"). But as he shows on this 1963 trio date (with either Sam Jones or Ron Carter on bass and drummer Connie Kay), Timmons was actually a well-rounded player when inspired. The repertoire on his CD ranges... Read More

Easy Does It
Artist: Bobby Timmons

Pianist Bobby Timmons, who became famous for his funky originals and soulful playing, mostly sticks to more bop-oriented jazz on this trio set with bassist Sam Jones and drummer Jimmy Cobb. He provides three originals (none of which really caught on) and is in excellent form on the five standards with highlights including "Old Devil Moon," "I... Read More

Soul Time
Artist: Bobby Timmons

Pianist Bobby Timmons, best known for his sanctified and funky playing and composing, is mostly heard in a straightahead vein on this CD reissue of a Riverside session. Timmons's four originals ("So Tired" is most memorable) alternate with three standards and are interpreted by a quartet with trumpeter Blue Mitchell, bassist Sam Jones and... Read More

The Best of Stanley Turrentine - BLUE NOTE
Artist: Stanley Turrentine

As the man who wrote the liner notes says, Turrentine may be the only Texas tenor player to come out of Pittsburgh -- and you can hear several of the reasons why in this distillation of his Blue Note dates from 1960 to 1966, plus a grand leap all the way to 1984. Though his sound can be heard as early as the fairly conventional "Little Sheri,"... Read More

Let It Go
Artist: Stanley Turrentine

For fans ready to graduate from Stanley Turrentine's many fine Blue Note sets, this excellent mid-'60s date on Impulse should be the perfect option. Joined by then-wife Shirley Scott on organ, Turrentine revels in a fine array of medium cookers, three of which came from his own pen. The covers are just as impressive, including a clutch of... Read More

Moanin' Blues
Artist: Bobby Timmons

As an all-on-one-disc survey of the young composer-laureate of the funky school, this compilation will do very nicely. Drawing from four of Timmons' Riverside albums and one on Prestige, all the tunes are by Timmons save "Bags' Groove" and "Born To Be Blue"; the former takes us into the more advanced harmonic territory that Timmons was starting... Read More