‘In these recordings without amplification I could hear the natural resonance of the instruments and the subtleties in the vocals. They also played songs not heard in the dance halls: haunting, sad songs.’
Pure loveliness from 1967 — with an acappella version.
Selected and presented by Shirley Collins.
Two spaced-out, synthed-up, house tearaways; a chunk of totally fucked-up dancehall; dub techno. A guitar solo and tincture of Fleetwood Mac to boot. TTT measures.
With Virgil Jones, Clarence Thomas, Melvin Sparks, Jimmy Lewis, Buddy Caldwell and Harold Mabern. Roars out of the traps with a low-slung Express Yourself; then Joe Dukes’ Soulful Drums; then a cooking Super Bad.
The first of two LPs recorded by the vibes player for the Detroit label Tuba, after Riverside went under in 1964.
With regular trio partners organist Milt Harris and drummer Peppy Hinnant; and Wynton Kelly and George Duvivier dropping in.
Featuring a cracking version of Duke Pearson’s Christo Redentor, and grooving rug-cutters Possum Grease and Hot Sauce… besides the stone-classic Dingwalls-floor-filler The Man.
From 1964, this tribute to Miles Davis is the great vibes player’s crowning glory (even including his contribution to Roger Troutman’s Unlimited album). A swinging, modal classic, massive on the Dingwalls jazz-dance scene.