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... [+] Expand

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 Sun" (which would be a number pop hit for the Rivieras in 1964) also seems like a stab at pop accessibility, there are detours into more inside jazz with the interpretations of "Body and Soul" and the Gershwins' "Oh Lady, Be Good." "A Penny Serenade," grounded by Ray Barretto's congas, ends the set on a lively and playful note. Freddie Roach fills the organ chair on this set, and guitarist Bill Jennings gets some tasteful licks in, particularly during "A Penny Serenade." The album was added in its entirety to a previous Jackson outing on Prestige, Keep on a Blowin', when Keep on a Blowin' was reissued on CD in 1999 as part of the Legends of Acid Jazz series. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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