Lonnie Smith: Mama Wailer

This is one of the essential Cti releases. Thrown onto the market in July 1972 (just three months after " Live at Club Mozambique"), when Soul-Jazz was at it's height, Lonnie Smith (not to be confused with another organist, Lonnie Liston Smith) romps through four tracks of dirty, smoking grooves.

The title track has everything the soul-jazz afficionado looks for. A popping pass (a Ron Carter, a hookline, a solid and steady rythm (Billy Cobham on drums), a latin tinge (Airto) and nice, soulful soli (Grover Washington). I find Smith's clavinet a bit odd though, I wish he would've played organ exclusively.

"Hola Munteca" is a laid-back mixture of latin-soul and jazz. The instrumentation is spare, with Smith in the foreground. Sadly, none of the others play a solo. Smith's solo contains a hint towards The Champs "Tequila".

"I feel the earth move" is a great revamp of Carole Kings soft-rock hit. The band picks up speed early until the end, again with the emphasis on Smith and the rest of the band laying the foundations.

The lengthy "Stand" begins very slowly but after 2 minutes the band begins with slow grooves that let you shake your head and pop your fingers. Guitars and Saxophone "discuss" with the organ before at halftime everything is being woven together to a complex piece where hell breaks loose.

This one is highly recommended to every serious soul-jazz afficionado, although I wish that the other musicians beside smith would get more solo space. It's a shame that this is currently out of print and only available as an import from Japan (which seems to be a heaven for Cti-fanatics, thanks to the King label which keeps releasing them constantly).
It's also the only Cti release that has Smith's name on it. He never released another one, not even as a sideman.

Grover Washington, Jr. - Soul Box

I'm always a bit stumped when I go through the online auction platforms and my local record dealers offerings to dig for Grover Washington albums as it seems that his name stands almost exclusively for his 80's hit record "Winelight", despite the gems that Washington made right from the start of his Career.

Soul Box appears to be the most ambitious one, judging from the big line-up (a long list of Cti-regulars +strings + horns).

"Aubrey" is a (slightly) short, sweet ballad with Washington in the spotlight. A wooden flute adds a nice touch.

"Masterpiece" is a stunning blaxploitation-style track with some Herbie Hancock style Clavinet by Richard Tee , an orchestration, a bass and a funky guitar (by Eric Gale) that would easily fit to a spy movie soundtrack. More than 13 minutes that are never boring.

"Trouble Man" is fairly similar but jazzier, more subtle and less funky (version of the blaxploitation soundtrack). I find the 15 minutes for this one a bit too long (especially if you listen to the entire album at once).

The reendition of Stevie Wonders "You're the sunshine of my live" is interesting as it changes back and forth from very smooth pop-parts to something more jazzy.

The same goes for "Don't explain", a Billy Holiday Tune. It's again rather lengthy and alternates between the usual dreamy Jazz-Pop and some more sophisticated parts (though far away from being as sophisticated as say, the Hubbard albums).

The "Easy Living/Ain't nobody's business if I do"-medley is difficult to categorize. Washington stays almost exclusively in the foreground (there's one other solo by Eric Gale), the rythm section stays in the background. It mixes an uptempo part with lengthy, slow and dreamy (for which the orchestra is responisble) parts.

The last song, "Taurian Matador" is a bit odd. Billy Cobham adds complex drums (Idris Muhammdad plays on the other tracks), the keyboard solo let the scene sound a bit as if someone is chased by a criminal in a crime movie before Washington brings it back to something more Jazz-like. Tough stuff, definitely not comparable to the other songs on the album and to what most listeners have in mind when they hear the name Grover Washington.


The record definitely needs close listening. It's far too good to hear it as some nice muzak that you can listen to while you're dusting off your vinyl collection.

Freddie Hubbard: "Straight Life" (from "Straight Life")

Creed Taylor obviously had a nose for choosing musicians that experience the climax of their career. Before Hubbard came to Cti, he was already a major player who "graduated" in Hard-Bop, Post-Bop, Modal-Jazz and Bebop and played with all the other big names from the scene.

His stint with Cti also became the breakthrough to a wider audience, his albums were huge commercial successes before he gradually lost recognition in the scene (except the late seventies, where he joined Herbie Hancock's V.S.O.P. outfit) and his chops.

"Straight Life" from 1970 was issued right in the middle of Hubbard's stay with Cti

"Straight Life" is a mildly infectious tune that shows Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Hancock and Jack deJohnette playing mostly less accessible, hard swinging soli while Benson keeps his part solid.

"Mr.Clean" is what the title suggest: a slower track with an emphasis on the slightly funky beat. Hancock and Benson have (IMO) the best solo parts, Hancock on Fender Rhodes (?) while Benson inserts some soul-elements.

"Here's that rainy day" is a beautiful, relaxing ballad where Hubbard finally comes to shine, while Benson and Ron Carter stay in the background (no drummer here).

Well, I must admit that now that I'm writing reviews and therefore examine the music more closely, I become much more critical of Hubbard's albums. The more I listen to Cti, the less suitable complex rythm sections appeal to me for this electrified soul-jazz thing. Especially the drums on the first two tracks should stay more in the background IMO and leave the solo space entirely to the others. The overlength (Straight life = 17 minutes) make things rather worse. Or am I too snotty?


"Here's that rainy day" on the other side is of course totally different but just slightly refreshing as Hubbard is a bit too "lonely" here. I would've loved to hear Benson and Hancock playing a solo, too.

It should not be too difficult to get this album 2nd hand (even on vinyl).

Here's a more accessible version of "Straight life" from the 1975 downbeat awards. Chick Corea, keys; Stanley Clarke, bass; Lenny White, drums. Check out Airto's funny percussion solo (the announcer is Quincy Jones).

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