Album of the Week: July 14-July 20

[Dan Gould]

Well, I hope everyone dug this album as much as I do. His first recording as a leader, Where its At! definitely takes a different approach, as side 1 is gospel oriented while side 2 is more of a soul jazz thing.

About my only complaint is that some of the gospel side skates the edge of "corn".

On the other hand, this was the album that led me on my way to locating the rest of Clifford Scott's Pacific Jazz recordings, I just love his work on this album. In fact, maybe a complete Clifford Scott on PJ might make a nice Mosaic Select. There's this one plus his own album as a leader, Out Front, I believe, and two more on the World Pacific label that's more in a pop vein but are still pretty nice.

[Big Al]

I've been chomping at the bit to get this week here. This record absolutely COOKS!!! Wall to wall GREEEEEEEAZE!!! Even on the spiritual cuts.

I got this the day I drove to Austin, and I'm tellin' ya, this is one great cruisin' record! The ballads let me take a breather, but on the real cookers, like "I'll Fly Away" and the title track, I was bouncin' all over the car--and the highway!

Also wanna mention "Smooth Sailing" and "Blue Greens and Beans" because they are good, greeeeeazy cookers as well!

I'm glad this one was the winner! I'm with Dan: this would make for a GREAT Mosaic Select!

[Soul Stream]

Well, first off. I have to thank Dan for such a great AOW idea. His plan to take an obscure, but deserved, organ lp and distribute it to all comers was a wonderful idea. Not only that, it provided me a chance to hear an album I've been dreaming about, but wasn't able to find, for years....Charles Kynard's "Where It's At!"

I'm such a fan of Groove Holmes' Pacific Jazz recording, especially "After Hours," that I have always looked forward to hearing Richard Bock produce the Charles Kynard outing. And BOY, does it not disappoint. Unbelievable that this 1964 date is Kynard's one and only date for the label. Too bad, none of his other records even come close to this.

From the all-out uptempo gospel of "I'll Fly Away," you know you're in for a soul-clappin' good time. What's so amazing about Kynard, is he honestly delivers the same kind of soul ferver that only Baby Face Willette's ARGO and Sam Lazar's ARGO dates managed to capture in a soul-jazz setting.

Of course, the first side is made up entirely of tradition church hymms and themes. For me, this is the most INTERESTING stuff on the album! Kynard really shines in this setting, and HIS personality seems to come forth a little more than on side 2.

That said, Side 2 grooves like a mf. It's jazz organ 101. EVERY jazz organist should be able to demonstrate what Charles does here. His ability to block chord solo, set up a "shout" and deliver on "Blue Greens and Beans" is textbook on how this should be done. He really burns here, sounding a lot like Jack McDuff on his early outings with Willis Jackson and Bill Jennings.

His "Groove Holmes" really shines through on the ballad "I Wonder." If someone had told me it was Groove, I wouldn't have questioned it. Perfect. I also detect some Billy Larkin (another forgetten organist) in Kynard's approach. Also his two handed ballad work on "Sports Lament" is very, very nice.

Clifford Scott is exceptional here...from the Ammons mindset, he makes it sound SO goood, the ballads the blues, he's ALL there. Howard Roberts mainly comps his way to groovesville alongside Milt Turner on drums.

The title track "Where It's At" is a barn burner. Just what B3 was about in 1963. This was, as Lou Donaldson has said, ghetto bar music. Loud, in your face, jazz and soul. No apologies.

I can't believe Pacific Jazz didn't follow this up with another date.

Thanks again DAN!!!!!

[Jim Alfredson]

Yes, thanks Dan. It was a real pleasure hearing this record. I have to say that I have Charles Kynard's Legend of Acid Jazz disc but was never too impressed. The playing is fine, but just not very inspired. I agree with Soul Stream that this record should've been followed up with another. The producer pairing seems to have worked magic.

Great playing all around and I again agree with Soul Stream that the gospel side is the most interesting. Has anyone ever heard Billy Preston's Hammond gospel album? Some of the things those cats do on the organ amaze me. The whole gospel thing is a totally different arena.

GROOVE ON!

[Dan Gould]

Glad to share the wealth, guys!

By the way, and FWIW, Kynard was well-featured on another Pacific Jazz LP, Sonny Stits' My Mother's Eyes.

[Soul Stream]

By the way, and FWIW, Kynard was well-featured on another Pacific Jazz LP, Sonny Stits' My Mother's Eyes.

....Damn! This sounds like another one of those "impossible to finds." Oh well, I guess there's always a holy grail to be found.

Thanks again Dan for the great AOW!

[Gary]

I'm glad Dan mentioned CORN because when i first heard this CD its all i could hear but after five or six listens i can seem to hear the corn any more .

This album definately grows & grows & grows on you with every listen .

My favourite tracks are Motherless Child & I wonder . In fact theres only 1 track i dont particularly like (I Want To Be Ready).

Thanks Dan for the album of the Week .

[JSngry]

I dig this one too. The gospel stuff is cool with me becasue I've been investigating "real" Gospel music foe a few years now, and it makes perfect sense to me, musically and culturally. But it's NOT "real" Gospel - for one thing (and a crucial thing at that) real Gospel swings harder (and by that I don't mean that it swings MORE, just that the time is in a pocket that is very different and more physically forceful than most all jazz). But Kynard gets the flavor all right. and honestly too. The album in many ways flows like a church service, especially how the penultimate tune bust outs into a handclapping/footstomping. Get on up church, let's go home! I really like looping the CD and playing it sever times in succession, because the way the first track comes out of the last one really drives home the underlying Gospel flavor of not just this album, but so much of the entire genre.

Clifford Scott, yeah! I've only recently become aware of his "pure" jazz stuff (thanks almost entirely to Dan ), having known him almost exclusively from his days with Bill Doggett (and not just that legendary solo on "Honky Tonk" either). The cat's in no way an "innovator", but that's not what this kind of music is about - it's about playing professionally and soulfully in a way that relates to people directly, no interpreter needed. Scott's R&B work w/Dogett was nearly an archetype in this regard, and his jazz stuff shows him playing with a bit of a larger vocabulary, but still delivering the goods emotionally. When the time comes that I can no longer appreciate that and groove on it it for what it is, somebody come and lock me up. I'll have gotten too uptight for my own good.

So yeah, a very nice album indeed. Maybe not one that I'd automatically reach for without being reminded, but definitely one that gets played more than a few times once it's on. Gotta love THAT!

(Oh, btw, Clifford Scott can be heard pre-Doggett on LIONEL HAMPTON IN PARIS, a BMG/RCA VICTOR/Vogue thing that hasn't been OOP all that long. Well worth looking for, and not just for Scott!)

[JSngry]

Oh, one more thing. Does Kynard look more than a little psycho on the cover photo? Talk about your scary mofos!

[Dan Gould]

Yeah, unfortunately, Jim got (I think) color xeroxes when I sent it to him awhile back, while everyone in this batch just got black and white reductions.

But believe me, Kynard looks like a freakin' serial axe murderer!

If I ever get a scanner maybe I can post it, along with that Hank Mobley photo from the Tete Montoliu date that some of us tried to deconstruct on that forgotten BB.

[Brad]

I'm late on this one but what the hell. This is a great, great album. I loved every minute of it. After I finished listening to it for the second time, I just said "why the hell is this not out on cd?". I love the gospel. Gospel is part of the roots of jazz. How many musicians were befriended by the churches or drew inspiration from it? Countless, I'm sure. Clifford Scott? Yeah! Charles Kynard? Yeah, yeah!!! Very inspirational record.

We insist, no we demand: Liberate this record from the vaults!!!!

[Brad]

One last point: my wife hated it. Just goes to show you can't please everybody

[JohnS]

First off, thanks Dan for sharing this with Gary and thanks Gary for passing a copy on to me.

I've always thought of my self as a bit of an organ man but I'm pretty sure I don't have any Kynard in my collection so this album is especially welcome. A good dose of gospel funk with a touch of r&b thrown in from Scott, all good time foot patting stuff which deserves to heard. Scott has an interesting discography and I guess he can do just about anything on his horns. I followed up this one with "Clifford Scott Plays The Big Ones", also on PJ. Coarser and more pop oriented than this one but I love his sound on tenor, not quite so sure about his Bostic influenced tone on alto thought.

It's a real shame that the PJ organ albums have faired badly in the reissue stakes. There must be room for a collection of at least some of this PJ material, perhaps as Mosaic Select.

I had a look at Lord to check the recording date. I see he gives Ray Crawford as the guitarist and Leroy Henderson on drums and adds Ronnell Bright as the pianist on "I'll Fly Away".

Thanks again Dan and Gary, this one will get quite a few plays.

[JohnS]

John, Lord just says c.1963.

[michel devos]

Yes, Dan, thank you...Sounds fantastic from reading your review and every comment on the board.

Now where the hell can we get this LP, not to mention CD...?

Frankly, being no masochist, what's the interest of diggin a piece from the vaults that most of us (I presume) won't ever be able to get a copy..?Of course there is always luck...or can you suggest a better way..?

[Dan Gould]

Michel,

I sent you a Private Message.

[JohnS]

Just played this one again. In my last post I said foot patting. Hand clapping and foot stomping would be nearer the mark. It's that sort of record.