This week is my birthday, so I always allow myself to look back on where my life has taken me so far and where I have to go from here. Since my birthday is in the summer, I usually celebrated it on the Island, so I thought I'd share a few tunes that reflect both the passage of time and the influence MV has had on my life. No matter how many houses are built, regardless of how many daytrippers visit with one set of clothes and a ten dollar bill (As some people used to say, they visit the Island with both, but don't change either one while they are there) it is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Joshua Gone Barbados - Tom Rush
When I was a gawky, fat kid at the age of 16, I made about $15 a week at the Chilmark Community Center working for my brother who was the director (Talk about nepotism!). I would spend most - if not all - each week at the Mooncusser Coffee House in Oak Bluffs. That's where I first heard this song. Although it is quietly understated, it documents the brutal suppression of sugar cane workers on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent. Rush's exceptionally fluid guitar playing intertwines with his plaintive vocal to capture the mood of subdued acceptance.
Born in Chicago - Paul Butterfield
If you've read this blog more than once, you know how obsessed I am with Paul Butterfield. He was really my introduction to the blues. At the age of 19, a few friends and I formed the Phoenix Blues Band , so named because it rose from the ashes before each performance. Our first "gig" was at the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club, and this was one of the ten songs we knew. Unfortunately, by the time the break came around, we had gone through our entire repertoire, realizing we still had another hour to go. We devised the incredibly clever idea of simply reversing the order, so we started back up, turning "Born in Chicago" into an endless jam. Nobody noticed it was the same tune we had just played BEFORE the break. Fortunately for the music industry, I abandoned my career as soon as that summer was over.
Amazing Grace - Judy Collins
Considering all the times I really pissed my mother off, she claimed she cried when I dedicated this song to her during a special birthday show I did on WVOI , the "Voice of the Islands". Let me start by dispelling the typical male myth that I have spent my life looking to replace her. We had more than our share of violent arguments over hair, clothes, language - you name it. I didn't want anything to do with her for years, but, as is frequently the case, the more I looked at her as a human as opposed to an authority figure, the more I began to like her. She had been a star athlete in high school and worked as a gossip columnist in the 1920s. She had a razor sharp wit and always wanted to be an actress, but her specialty was entertaining people, which she did very well. My birthday present to you, Mom, is that I forgive you for constantly referring to me as "that big dummy." I probably should have mentioned that her name was Grace.
Desolation Row - Bob Dylan
It has taken me a long time to appreciate Bob Dylan, but there is no disputing his status as a cultural icon, producing some of the best imagery of the Twentieth Century. I could spend hours dissecting the references in this particular song, but it is significant in the rise and fall of WVOI. One Friday afternoon in October, 1975, as I was doing my show, one of the station stockholders walked in and informed me that my career was coming to an end in 24 hours because the station was shutting down. Consequently, when I did my last show the following morning, "Desolation Row" was the last song I played before the station went dead. Talk about poetic justice!
Happy birthday to you whenever it occurs. Personally, I don't want any presents this year, because I given myself the best one of all - I no longer hate myself. As some famous rocker once said: " I was so much older then/I'm younger than that now."
Friday, June 15, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Delaney & Bonnie
I'm back - barely - from the _______ reunion. Sorry I've neglected you, but the good news is I've got some new music to tell you about in the weeks to come, including tunes from my friends Scott "Doc" Allen and Bruce Burnside. I was wrong about drinking, shouting and clapping to "Gimme Some Loving" at the reunion, but pleasantly surprised when I put on a homemade Delaney & Bonnie CD and got a positive reaction to a handful of cuts from "On Tour with Eric Clapton".
Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett's credentials were solidly established before the album came out in 1970, Delaney as a studio musician in LA, and Bonnie as the only white "Ikette", performing with the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. Apparently, the duo met Eric Clapton when they were opening for Blind Faith. There's a pretty clear linkage between the "Tour" lineup and Derek and the Dominos, since Clapton put the Dominos together during that same year, using at least three musicians from the "Tour". 1970 also saw the release of "Mad Dogs and Englishmen", including "Friends" alumni Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge as well.
The opening cut - "Things Get Better" - is a prime example of what happens when the best session players get out of the studio and grind out the same tightly wound sound, the vocals, horns, drums and guitars blending perfectly in this uplifting tribute to love. "Poor Elijah - A Tribute to Robert Johnson" is a showcase for Clapton's slide guitar and Delaney's impressive vocal range, making you think that, if Robert Johnson had played electric guitar, it would sound like this.
"Only You Know and I Know" showcases the perfect blending of Delaney and Bonnie's voices, backed by a soaring horn section. The real killer on this quartet of songs is Little Richard's "I Don't Want To Discuss It". This closed out the tour, and it is nonstop, gradually rising to a frenetic climax, Delaney begging "somebody help me" as Clapton just keeps on jamming away.
There are six other Delaney & Bonnie albums, including one of my first records - " The Original Delaney and Bonnie - Accept No Substitutes" . This music is positive, uplifting and always provides a good time, probably because the affection between the two singers shines through every song.
See, reunions aren't ALL bad (just the food!).
Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett's credentials were solidly established before the album came out in 1970, Delaney as a studio musician in LA, and Bonnie as the only white "Ikette", performing with the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. Apparently, the duo met Eric Clapton when they were opening for Blind Faith. There's a pretty clear linkage between the "Tour" lineup and Derek and the Dominos, since Clapton put the Dominos together during that same year, using at least three musicians from the "Tour". 1970 also saw the release of "Mad Dogs and Englishmen", including "Friends" alumni Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge as well.
The opening cut - "Things Get Better" - is a prime example of what happens when the best session players get out of the studio and grind out the same tightly wound sound, the vocals, horns, drums and guitars blending perfectly in this uplifting tribute to love. "Poor Elijah - A Tribute to Robert Johnson" is a showcase for Clapton's slide guitar and Delaney's impressive vocal range, making you think that, if Robert Johnson had played electric guitar, it would sound like this.
"Only You Know and I Know" showcases the perfect blending of Delaney and Bonnie's voices, backed by a soaring horn section. The real killer on this quartet of songs is Little Richard's "I Don't Want To Discuss It". This closed out the tour, and it is nonstop, gradually rising to a frenetic climax, Delaney begging "somebody help me" as Clapton just keeps on jamming away.
There are six other Delaney & Bonnie albums, including one of my first records - " The Original Delaney and Bonnie - Accept No Substitutes" . This music is positive, uplifting and always provides a good time, probably because the affection between the two singers shines through every song.
See, reunions aren't ALL bad (just the food!).
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Time Marches On
I really hate to talk about age, but I'm taking a break next week to go to my _________ reunion. I decided to list some of the tunes that were popular then. Unfortunately, if you do a little research, you'll be able to determine the answer as to when they were recorded. Identify the year correctly, and I'll let you submit a guest column. Second prize is a trip to the annual Buzzard Festival in Hinckley, Ohio or the cash equivalent. Thanks to Billboard for the following list:
Gimme Some Lovin' - Spencer Davis Group
Still some SERIOUS rock and roll. Isn't that Stevie Winwood laying down those punishing organ riffs? Did you know that Muff Winwood was also in the band (What's next - Buffy Winwood? Why is it I get the feeling Muff's career was somewhat abortive?) Is it true that every time this song plays on the dancefloor with a group of over 50 types who've had too much to drink that they feel compelled to shout off key and clap haphazardly? Stay tuned.
Soul Man - Sam and Dave
The Muscle Shoals gospel sound bursts onto the charts, with the duo's seamless shouted vocals ably backed by those staccato horns. It doesn't really bother me that the tune was covered by the Blues Brothers, but I drew the line when they played it at Dole campaign rallies (I'm an OLD man - duh duh dut da dada da)- etc.
Groovin -Young Rascals
The ultimate bar, beach party, summer weekend and all around get high anthem from Felix and the gang. Blue collar pop that cuts across all socio-economic lines.
Happy Together - The Turtles
This song is a lot like cotton candy - fluffy and sweet but it doesn't last long. It seems so naive - but then so were we.
The Letter - The Box Tops
This tune is all about the importance of snail mail - I mean, why write your baby a letter when there's instant messaging? - and the tired, Mick Jaggerish quality of the vocal. Still,you get to hear a plane engine.
Incense and Peppermints - The Strawberry Alarm Clock
I know, I know - this is supposed to be the precursor of psychedelic rock, etc. etc., but it just takes itself too seriously. It's so PROFOUND.
Respect - Aretha Franklin
Who knew this song would turn out to be the theme of the latter half of the Twentieth Century? Aretha is the original feminist.
Windy - The Association
This song has a special place for me. I really hate the Association, but this tune is forever linked to someone who meant a lot to me that I'll never see again.
Did you figure out the year yet? Keep me posted.
Gimme Some Lovin' - Spencer Davis Group
Still some SERIOUS rock and roll. Isn't that Stevie Winwood laying down those punishing organ riffs? Did you know that Muff Winwood was also in the band (What's next - Buffy Winwood? Why is it I get the feeling Muff's career was somewhat abortive?) Is it true that every time this song plays on the dancefloor with a group of over 50 types who've had too much to drink that they feel compelled to shout off key and clap haphazardly? Stay tuned.
Soul Man - Sam and Dave
The Muscle Shoals gospel sound bursts onto the charts, with the duo's seamless shouted vocals ably backed by those staccato horns. It doesn't really bother me that the tune was covered by the Blues Brothers, but I drew the line when they played it at Dole campaign rallies (I'm an OLD man - duh duh dut da dada da)- etc.
Groovin -Young Rascals
The ultimate bar, beach party, summer weekend and all around get high anthem from Felix and the gang. Blue collar pop that cuts across all socio-economic lines.
Happy Together - The Turtles
This song is a lot like cotton candy - fluffy and sweet but it doesn't last long. It seems so naive - but then so were we.
The Letter - The Box Tops
This tune is all about the importance of snail mail - I mean, why write your baby a letter when there's instant messaging? - and the tired, Mick Jaggerish quality of the vocal. Still,you get to hear a plane engine.
Incense and Peppermints - The Strawberry Alarm Clock
I know, I know - this is supposed to be the precursor of psychedelic rock, etc. etc., but it just takes itself too seriously. It's so PROFOUND.
Respect - Aretha Franklin
Who knew this song would turn out to be the theme of the latter half of the Twentieth Century? Aretha is the original feminist.
Windy - The Association
This song has a special place for me. I really hate the Association, but this tune is forever linked to someone who meant a lot to me that I'll never see again.
Did you figure out the year yet? Keep me posted.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Bullseye in the Bargain Bin
Sometimes the best quality music can be found in the most unlikely places, provided you know the songs and the artists, so combing the discount racks in your local music emporium can be rewarding. I stumbled on the "Blues" series of Jukebox Hits one day, amazed as I scanned the artists and cuts to have uncovered so much great music for so little - 4 CDS for under 10 bucks.
The trade-off is that the collection was mastered in Holland on some obscure label, so all you get is the names of the artists and the tunes but no info as to when and where or with whom.
Looking randomly at Volume 3 reveals two cuts by Ray Charles that aren't very good. You'd think that all the music made by a genius like Charles would be superior. It's obvious here that he had the feel of the blues but was still refining that distinctive sound that would earn his place in American music.
John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillun" was supposedly made in 1947, apparently getting some airplay in Detroit. Although his deep growl of a voice is unmistakable, the music is simply one protracted, driving guitar riff, a signature sound that was picked up by both Canned Heat and Norman Greenbaum. Always imitated, never equalled, Hooker's presence is dark and ominous but authentic.
Bo Diddley may very well be one of America's most underrated guitar stylists, always willing to take chances with his box guitar, to drift from blues to jazz to psychedelic rock back to "gut bucket" R & B. "Doctor Jeckyll" is another good excuse for Bo to demonstrate to a newer audience that he holds the original Phd in rock.
"Everyday I Have The Blues" evokes the early Twentieth Century lone bluesman tickling the ivories. Lowell Fulsom delivers on this cut, hitting just the right mix of world-weariness and bouncy keyboards. The song has been covered by B.B. King and a few others.
Pianists Roosevelt Sykes and Memphis Slim are represented here with "Out on a Limb" and "Harlem Bound". Sykes' supposedly had big hands that allowed his fingers to stretch across and encompass more of the keyboard, while Slim's playing was smooth and melodious, "Harlem Bound" dealing with that favorite blues motif - the train- as well as a tongue-in-cheek imitation of the conductor calling off the stations as the train approached "One Hundred Twenty Fifth Street".
Jimmy Witherspoon contributes a jazzy version of "Kansas City", and the disc closes out with "Trouble Blues" , a lament over broken love from Charles Brown. I'll get back to more of these tunes eventually, but don't forget - just because its on sale doesn't mean its Iron Butterfly's second album or one of those so-called "Greatest Hits" collections where maybe two out of a dozen songs were actually hits. Keep your eyes open for greatness.
The trade-off is that the collection was mastered in Holland on some obscure label, so all you get is the names of the artists and the tunes but no info as to when and where or with whom.
Looking randomly at Volume 3 reveals two cuts by Ray Charles that aren't very good. You'd think that all the music made by a genius like Charles would be superior. It's obvious here that he had the feel of the blues but was still refining that distinctive sound that would earn his place in American music.
John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillun" was supposedly made in 1947, apparently getting some airplay in Detroit. Although his deep growl of a voice is unmistakable, the music is simply one protracted, driving guitar riff, a signature sound that was picked up by both Canned Heat and Norman Greenbaum. Always imitated, never equalled, Hooker's presence is dark and ominous but authentic.
Bo Diddley may very well be one of America's most underrated guitar stylists, always willing to take chances with his box guitar, to drift from blues to jazz to psychedelic rock back to "gut bucket" R & B. "Doctor Jeckyll" is another good excuse for Bo to demonstrate to a newer audience that he holds the original Phd in rock.
"Everyday I Have The Blues" evokes the early Twentieth Century lone bluesman tickling the ivories. Lowell Fulsom delivers on this cut, hitting just the right mix of world-weariness and bouncy keyboards. The song has been covered by B.B. King and a few others.
Pianists Roosevelt Sykes and Memphis Slim are represented here with "Out on a Limb" and "Harlem Bound". Sykes' supposedly had big hands that allowed his fingers to stretch across and encompass more of the keyboard, while Slim's playing was smooth and melodious, "Harlem Bound" dealing with that favorite blues motif - the train- as well as a tongue-in-cheek imitation of the conductor calling off the stations as the train approached "One Hundred Twenty Fifth Street".
Jimmy Witherspoon contributes a jazzy version of "Kansas City", and the disc closes out with "Trouble Blues" , a lament over broken love from Charles Brown. I'll get back to more of these tunes eventually, but don't forget - just because its on sale doesn't mean its Iron Butterfly's second album or one of those so-called "Greatest Hits" collections where maybe two out of a dozen songs were actually hits. Keep your eyes open for greatness.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Big D's Hit Parade, Part Two
Continuing with my own personal Top 40....
Morning Dew - The Grateful Dead
The Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion was probably the second album I bought with my own money, prompted by the fact that I had seen the Dead live at the Village Gate. Ironically, they were OPENING for another band that dropped out of sight. Morning Dew is highlighted by Jerry Garcia's tentative vocals meshing with plaintive guitar chords. The song has such a loving quality to it, painting a picture and creating a mood. In my mind, it marks the beginning of the reign of the Dead.
Panama Limited - Tom Rush
Rush's deft use of a kitchen knife sliding up and down the guitar strings coupled with his authoritative vocals and meticulously clean finger picking makes this song a folkie classic, complete with the various "train" sound effects. He does his musical homework well, able to adapt and refine various guitar styles until he makes them his own. "Panama Limited" was best experienced from the vantage point of a crowded cafe table in the old Mooncusser on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs.
Heard It Through The Grapevine - Gladys Knight and The Pips
This song simply drives itself - a blend of the funkiest piano hooks on record combined with Gladys' intense vocals and the staccato punctuation of the Pips, a solid R & B riff that never lets you down. I always wonder why Marvin Gaye's version got all the attention.
Chest Fever - The Band
A true virtuoso run for keyboardist Garth Hudson as he jumps from organ to piano to synthesizer and back, the song's refrain echoing like thunder across some vast imaginary plain. I used to always visualize the song being performed live, with Garth as the centerpiece, rising up from the stage on some kind of hydraulic platform during his solo, hunched over his array of instruments.
Leavin' Trunk - Taj Mahal
Or any of the other cuts off his first eye-opening album - who was this dude who ground out such tight, hard-driving, electrifying blues? Taj's voice on this cut is a controlled, melodic shout, while the harmonica provides a dynamic, amplified wail. If you ever get a copy of this record, sit back and relax to "The Celebrated Walking Blues", kind of like Taj Mahal's musical thesis on the nature and history of the blues.
By the way - how about YOUR Top 40? Send me some titles and brief descriptions and I'll add it to the list.
Morning Dew - The Grateful Dead
The Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion was probably the second album I bought with my own money, prompted by the fact that I had seen the Dead live at the Village Gate. Ironically, they were OPENING for another band that dropped out of sight. Morning Dew is highlighted by Jerry Garcia's tentative vocals meshing with plaintive guitar chords. The song has such a loving quality to it, painting a picture and creating a mood. In my mind, it marks the beginning of the reign of the Dead.
Panama Limited - Tom Rush
Rush's deft use of a kitchen knife sliding up and down the guitar strings coupled with his authoritative vocals and meticulously clean finger picking makes this song a folkie classic, complete with the various "train" sound effects. He does his musical homework well, able to adapt and refine various guitar styles until he makes them his own. "Panama Limited" was best experienced from the vantage point of a crowded cafe table in the old Mooncusser on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs.
Heard It Through The Grapevine - Gladys Knight and The Pips
This song simply drives itself - a blend of the funkiest piano hooks on record combined with Gladys' intense vocals and the staccato punctuation of the Pips, a solid R & B riff that never lets you down. I always wonder why Marvin Gaye's version got all the attention.
Chest Fever - The Band
A true virtuoso run for keyboardist Garth Hudson as he jumps from organ to piano to synthesizer and back, the song's refrain echoing like thunder across some vast imaginary plain. I used to always visualize the song being performed live, with Garth as the centerpiece, rising up from the stage on some kind of hydraulic platform during his solo, hunched over his array of instruments.
Leavin' Trunk - Taj Mahal
Or any of the other cuts off his first eye-opening album - who was this dude who ground out such tight, hard-driving, electrifying blues? Taj's voice on this cut is a controlled, melodic shout, while the harmonica provides a dynamic, amplified wail. If you ever get a copy of this record, sit back and relax to "The Celebrated Walking Blues", kind of like Taj Mahal's musical thesis on the nature and history of the blues.
By the way - how about YOUR Top 40? Send me some titles and brief descriptions and I'll add it to the list.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
My Top 40
In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the May 07 issue of Rolling Stone has a list of the 40 songs which - in their opinion - changed the world. In a manner of speaking , since music like most art is ultimately subjective, we all have our own Top 40 tunes, the music that stands out in the stages of your life.
The first song that caught my attention was "Twist Twist Senora" by Gary US Bonds, the bouncy, vibrant rthymn standing out in the WABC (New York) AM mix that I was addicted to with my tinny transistor and plastic earphone. Bonds' voice was closer to a hoarse shout than a melodic voice, but the beat and the vocal made me move, in contrast to Chubby Checker and Joey Dee, so much so that I went out and bought the record. Bonds' music has some Caribbean flavor, the song lyrics vaguely reminiscent of gonzo calypso.
Then there was the Contours "Do You Love Me?", the driving, early Motown beat combined with the classic "spoken" intro before the song simply breaks out into the "call and respond" format. The interaction between the shouted lead and the melodic chorus gave it a rough but high energy edge, sort of like doo wop on meth.
The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" was one of my very few 45s, which I played over and over on my two tone monaural until the words were embedded in my brain. The music was so straightforward and simplistic that even I could carry the tune. I never realized how much potential the song had until Van Halen ripped it open 20 years later.
The real mystery is "Psychotic Reaction" by the Count Five. This was my first big driving song although it hinted of psychedelia, a harbinger of the extended guitar solos to come, but it's like the song never existed. I haven't heard it since I was 17, but I associate it with great moments like cranking my mother's station wagon up to 100 + and singing at the top of my lungs: "Well I feel this way - can't get satisfaction - feels just like a PSYCHOTIC REACTION."
Stay tuned for more of my own personal "charts".
The first song that caught my attention was "Twist Twist Senora" by Gary US Bonds, the bouncy, vibrant rthymn standing out in the WABC (New York) AM mix that I was addicted to with my tinny transistor and plastic earphone. Bonds' voice was closer to a hoarse shout than a melodic voice, but the beat and the vocal made me move, in contrast to Chubby Checker and Joey Dee, so much so that I went out and bought the record. Bonds' music has some Caribbean flavor, the song lyrics vaguely reminiscent of gonzo calypso.
Then there was the Contours "Do You Love Me?", the driving, early Motown beat combined with the classic "spoken" intro before the song simply breaks out into the "call and respond" format. The interaction between the shouted lead and the melodic chorus gave it a rough but high energy edge, sort of like doo wop on meth.
The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" was one of my very few 45s, which I played over and over on my two tone monaural until the words were embedded in my brain. The music was so straightforward and simplistic that even I could carry the tune. I never realized how much potential the song had until Van Halen ripped it open 20 years later.
The real mystery is "Psychotic Reaction" by the Count Five. This was my first big driving song although it hinted of psychedelia, a harbinger of the extended guitar solos to come, but it's like the song never existed. I haven't heard it since I was 17, but I associate it with great moments like cranking my mother's station wagon up to 100 + and singing at the top of my lungs: "Well I feel this way - can't get satisfaction - feels just like a PSYCHOTIC REACTION."
Stay tuned for more of my own personal "charts".
Friday, April 20, 2007
Junior Walker
For years I thought that the only way to play a saxophone was to sound like Junior Walker, mainly because I had a copy of the Shotgun album that I played over and over, listening to the way Walker made the instrument shriek, wail and squeeze out spine-straightening riffs. True, Shotgun is the tune commonly associated with Junior Walker and the All Stars, but I liked "Roadrunner" and "Cleo' s Mood" and "Shake and Fingerpop" just as well.
As far as facts are concerned, Junior was born Autry DeWalt Jr in Blytheville, Arkansas, then grew up in South Bend, Indiana. He originally recorded for Harvey Fuqua, but went to Motown when Berry Gordy, Jr. bought out all Fuqua's labels. Besides Junior himself, the All Stars featured Vic Thomas on keyboards, Willie Woods on guitar and drummer James Graves. Most of the group's hits were sandwiched in between 1965 and the early 70s, but none of them ever reached the same stature as "Shotgun".
Soul Session was the All Stars' second album on Motown's Soul label. The funkiest tune has to be the way Junior and the band rip up "Moonlight in Vermont", title tune from a 1943 "b" musical, starting with the original comforting melodic line, then upping the tempo and injecting the funk before settling back into a comfortable, romantic groove. Soul Session definitely stands out because it is totally instrumental , and shows the true depth of the All Stars' talent. Best cuts include "Satan's Blues", the sound of gritty urban blues at its best, including organ riffs reminiscent of jazz great Jimmy Smith; "Shake Everything"; "Good Rockin'" and "Brainwasher." Junior's playing on this album has always been for me the true definition of (for lack of a better term) "urban" saxophone, ranking with Miles Davis in my lexicon of horn players.
Walker decided to branch out on his own in 1979 with little success except for the fact that he played the sax solo for "Urgent", the rock group Foreigner's hit in 1981, and was back at Motown in 1983. He succumbed to cancer in 1995.
In general, I prefer music with energy, power and humor. Junior Walker and the All Stars exceeded all three categories, and created a monument to funk that was ahead of its time.
As far as facts are concerned, Junior was born Autry DeWalt Jr in Blytheville, Arkansas, then grew up in South Bend, Indiana. He originally recorded for Harvey Fuqua, but went to Motown when Berry Gordy, Jr. bought out all Fuqua's labels. Besides Junior himself, the All Stars featured Vic Thomas on keyboards, Willie Woods on guitar and drummer James Graves. Most of the group's hits were sandwiched in between 1965 and the early 70s, but none of them ever reached the same stature as "Shotgun".
Soul Session was the All Stars' second album on Motown's Soul label. The funkiest tune has to be the way Junior and the band rip up "Moonlight in Vermont", title tune from a 1943 "b" musical, starting with the original comforting melodic line, then upping the tempo and injecting the funk before settling back into a comfortable, romantic groove. Soul Session definitely stands out because it is totally instrumental , and shows the true depth of the All Stars' talent. Best cuts include "Satan's Blues", the sound of gritty urban blues at its best, including organ riffs reminiscent of jazz great Jimmy Smith; "Shake Everything"; "Good Rockin'" and "Brainwasher." Junior's playing on this album has always been for me the true definition of (for lack of a better term) "urban" saxophone, ranking with Miles Davis in my lexicon of horn players.
Walker decided to branch out on his own in 1979 with little success except for the fact that he played the sax solo for "Urgent", the rock group Foreigner's hit in 1981, and was back at Motown in 1983. He succumbed to cancer in 1995.
In general, I prefer music with energy, power and humor. Junior Walker and the All Stars exceeded all three categories, and created a monument to funk that was ahead of its time.
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