Gene Ammons - Brother Jug! (1969) [vinyl>flac]

A swinging soul-jazz set from just before the point where soul-jazz turned once and for all into fusion, 1970's Brother Jug is very much an album of its time. (Note Billy Butler's funky-cheesy wah-wah guitar underpinning "Jungle Strut.") That said, while the album doesn't have the classic timelessness of Gene Ammons' best '50s and early-'60s work, Brother Jug is one of Ammons' better albums released soon after the tenor saxophonist's release from a seven-year prison sentence. Ammons' playing on this album has an unaccustomed grit; even on ballads like "Didn't We," there's an R&B-style honk to Ammons' tone that suits the funky, electric arrangements well. Brother Jug is not an all-time classic -- the closing take on "Son of a Preacher Man," with Sonny Phillips' in-your-face wah-wah organ, is hampered by a too-sluggish rhythm section and some unimaginative, braying solos by Ammons -- but even the weakest tunes have a certain historical interest. ~ by Stewart Mason, AMG.

Nice soul jazz vibes from Mr. Ammons featuring Bernard Purdie, Candido and Billy Butler amongst others. The track Jungle Strut is a stone cold B-boy throwdown. ~ Mista WARZ!!!

Prestige Records, PR 7792, 1969

Recorded 10th (#B3) & 11th (#A1-B2) November, 1969 at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Gene Ammons - Tenor Saxophone

Sonny Phillips - Organ (#A1-B2)

Junior Mance - Piano (#B3)

Billy Butler - Guitar (#A1-B2)

Bob Bushnell - Electric Bass (#A1-B2)

Buster Williams - Bass (#B3)

Bernard Purdie - Drums (#A1-B2)

Frankie Jones - Drums (B3)

Candido - Congas (#B3)

Track Listing:

A1. Son Of A Preacher Man {John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins} (4:20)

A2. Didn't We {Jimmy Webb} (5:58)

A3. He's A Real Gone Guy {Nellie Lutcher} (4:59)

B1. Jungle Strut {Gene Ammons} (5:03)

B2. Blue Velvet {Lee Morris, Bernie Wayne} (4:02)

B3. Ger-Ru {Gene Ammons} (8:37)

Credits:

Supervisor - Bob Porter

Recording Engineer - Rudy Van Gelder

Liner Notes - Dan Morgenstern (May 1970)

Note:

There is discrepancy in the session listing at the ‘Prestige Records Discography Project’.
Prince James not listed, but is on album cover. Also Billy Butler only seems to play on tracks A1, B1.