Red Holloway - Go Red Go! (2009)

Like fine wine, saxophonist extraordinaire Red Holloway seems to get better with age. On Go Red Go!, the octogenarian plays with a fiery intensity that rivals his classic recordings from the 1960s with organist Jack McDuff. Holloway has always straddled the fence between jazz and blues, having worked with the likes of saxophonist Sonny Stitt and organist Jack McDuff, as well as blues legends Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. This infectious approach is demonstrated here on 12-bar riff tunes like "I Like it Funky" and the title track. The latter, taken at a blistering tempo, is a highlight of the disc. Here Holloway effortlessly lays out winding bebop phrases alongside charismatic honking and shouting. Another memorable moment is Holloway's lyrical alto playing on "Stardust." With eerie similarities to his contemporary Hank Crawford (1934-2009) in style and tone, Holloway snakes his way around the familiar Hoagy Carmichael theme with alluring charm. Organist Chris Foreman and drummer Greg Rockingham, both veterans of the Chicago scene and members of the acclaimed Deep Blue Organ Trio, provide the perfect foundation for Holloway's jazz-meets-blues approach. Foreman's manipulation of the draw bars harnesses the spirit of McDuff, especially on the walk-in-the-park tempos of "Deep Purple" and "Wave." Guitarist Henry Johnson's warm-tone and flawless technique is on full display throughout the disc. The Chicago native's greasy bop lines intensify the session. His groovy solos on "Bag's Groove" and "St. Thomas" are full of inventiveness and soul. Holloway toured with blues shouter Roosevelt Sykes in the late 1940s and here he closes the set with Sykes' jump blues "Keep Your Hands off Her," vocalizing with the same matter-of-fact delivery he displays with the horn. Add to that Rockingham's crackling backbeat and guest guitarist George Freeman's jabbing guitar licks and the feeling is that of wanting more and more. ~ by John Barron, AAJ. 

Delmark Records, DE 585, 2009
Recorded 16^th-18^th July, 2008 At Riverside Studio, Chicago, Illinois 

Musicians:
Red Holloway - Alto & Tenor Saxophones, Vocals (#9)
Chris Foreman - Organ [Hammond B-3]
Henry Johnson - Guitar (#3-8)
George Freeman - Guitar (#2,9)
Greg Rockingham - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Love Walked In {George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin} (5:25)
2. I Like It Funky {Red Holloway} (6:42)
3. Go Red Go {Arnett Cobb} (3:20)
4. Deep Purple {Peter DeRose, Mitchell Parish} (11:07)
5. St. Thomas {Sonny Rollins} (4:58)
6. Stardust {Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish} (9:57)
7. Bag’s Groove {Milt Jackson} (8:18)
8. Wave {Antônio Carlos Jobim} (11:18)
9. Keep Your Hands Off Her {Roosevelt Sykes} (4:17) 

Total Time: 65:22

Credits:
Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Supervisor - Steve Wagner
Producer, Supervisor - Robert G. Koester
Mixing Assistant - Dave Katzman
Liner Notes, Photography - Michael Jackson

Richard "Groove" Holmes - The Groover! (1968) [re-rip]

Holmes acquits himself well, if with few surprises, on this trio session with Billy Jackson on drums and either George Freeman or Earl Maddox on guitar. The organist shows his hundred-miles-per-hour capabilities on the frantic opener "Speak Low," but hits a more sensitive groove for "Blue Moon," and gets close to an R&B mood on the longest cut, the eight-minute "The Walrus." ~ by Richie Unterberger, AMG.

A nice one from the days when Groove was playing with guitarist George Freeman! The core of the tracks on here feature a trio of Holmes, Freeman, and drummer Billy Jackson – and the trio knows how to cook nice and nicely, especially on the original cut "The Walrus", a groovy number written by Freeman, with his usual off-kilter approach. Other cuts include "My Scenery", "Blue Moon", and "I'll Remember April". Nice cover, too – with Freeman looking really spaced out! © Dusty Groove, Inc.

Prestige Records, PRST 7570, 1968

Recorded 14^th February, 1968 At Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Personnel:

Richard "Groove" Holmes - Organ

George Freeman - Guitar (#A1-B1)

Earl Maddox - Guitar (#B2-B3)

Billy Jackson - Drums

Tracks:

A1. Speak Low {Ogden Nash, Kurt Weill} (7:03)

A2. My Scenery {George Freeman} (4:09)

A3. Walrus {George Freeman} (8:25)

B1. Blue Moon {Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers} (5:04)

B2. I'll Remember April {Gene DePaul, Patricia Johnston, Don Raye} (6:20)

B3. Just Friends {John Klenner, Sam M. Lewis} (5:37)

Credits:

Producer - Cal Lampley

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder
Design - Don Schlitten
Art - Irving Riggs
Photo - Jerry Field
Notes - Ralph Berton (April 1968)

George Freeman - Man And Woman (1974) [vinyl]

While Man & Woman embraces a mellower approach than guitarist George Freeman's other Groove Merchant dates, it's by no means the late-night boudoir record its erotic cover suggests -- the stripped-down, nuanced sound instead adheres to a relatively straightforward soul-jazz formula, more focused and earthbound in its orientation than the average Freeman session. Teaming here with pianists Harold Mabern and Kenny Barron, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Buddy Williams, the guitarist embraces the change of pace, settling comfortably into the music's slow, slinky grooves -- not only are his solos as imaginative as before, but they also boast a rippling sensuality otherwise absent from his previous records. ~ by Jason Ankeny, AMG.

Groove Merchant, GM 3305, 1974

Musicians:

George Freeman - Guitar

Kenny Barron - Electric Piano

Harold Mabern Jr. - Piano, Electric Piano

Bobby Cranshaw - Bass

Buddy Williams - Drums (#A1-B1,B3)

Bernard Trapps - Drums (#B2,B4)

Tracks:

A1. Till There Was You {Meredith Wilson} (5:03)

A2. You've Changed {Bill Carey, Carl Fischer} (5:53)

A3. I Ain't Got Nobody {Roger Graham, Dave Peyton, Spencer Williams} (4:32)

A4. Groovy Lady {George Freeman} (4:52)

B1. Funny How Time Slips Away {Willie Nelson} (5:05)

B2. Squeeze Me {Fats Waller, Clarence Williams} (6:45)

B3. Stardust {Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish} (4:00)

B4. Georgia On My Mind {Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorrell} (6:09)

Credits:

Producer - Sonny Lester

Recording Engineer - Malcolm Addey

Mastered Engineer - Sam Feldman

Art Direction - Frank Daniel

Design [Album] - David Lartaud

Photography - Manuel Gonzales

One of the more laidback albums from George Freeman's early 70s run - but still a great little set that shows the mellower side of his talents! Despite the sexy style of the cover, the sound here is relatively straight soul jazz - small combo work with Harold Mabern on acoustic piano, Kenny Barron on electric piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Buddy Williams on drums - all in support of Freeman's snakey guitar lines over the gentle rhythms and slinky grooves. George's sound is slightly less tripped-out than on other records, but still has that undeniable Freeman tone - a raspy edge that's quite different than most of his contemporaries! Titles include "I Ain't Got Nobody", "You've Changed", "Groovy Lady", "Squeeze Me", and "Till There Was You".  © Dusty Groove, Inc.

Shirley Scott - Mystical Lady (1971) [vinyl]

An overlooked early 70's LP by the 'Queen Of The Organ'. The first of three albums she would cut for Cadet Records. At the age of 37 Shirley seeing the threat of the rock world started to turn her hand to a funkier soul jazz vibe. Her mastery on the organ is increasingly evident on this LP. She surrounds herself with a proven core of fine players, all of whom embrace and express the soul jazz style to the full on their own releases. For this album Shirley presents a number of covers of popular songs leaving space for only one her own co-written tunes. Overall the sound is dynamic and truly reflects how jazz musicians were trying to move with the times. This is a great sounding rip [DR 14] taken from an original LP, which is yet to surface as a CD. Enjoy!

Cadet Records, CA 50009, 1971

Recorded 1971 At Sound Exchange, New York, New York

Musicians:

Shirley Scott - Organ, Vocals (#A2)

George Patterson - Alto Saxophone (#B1)

Danny Turner - Tenor Saxophone (#A1,A2,B1,B2)

Pee Wee Ellis - Tenor Saxophone (#A3,B3)

Wally Richardson - Guitar (#A1,A2,B1,B2)

George Freeman - Guitar (#A3,B3)

Ron Carter - Bass (#A1,A2,B1,B2)

Richard Davis - Bass (#A3,B3)

Bobby Durham - Drums (#A1,A2,B1,B2)

Freddie Watts - Drums (#A3,B3)

Tracks:

A1. Mystical Lady {Esmond Edwards} (7:54)

A2. Your Song {Elton John, Bernie Taupin} (5:52)

A3. Hall Of Jazz {Shirley Scott, Gregg Hall} (6:17)

B1. Proud Mary {John C. Fogerty} (6:39)

B2. Love Dreams {George Patterson} (5:00)

B3. Let It Be {John Lennon, Paul McCartney} (7:14)

Credits:

Producer - Esmond Edwards

Recording Engineer - Steve Katz

Arranger - George Patterson (#A3)

Album Design - Maurer Productions

George Freeman - Franticdiagnosis (1972)

A legendary bit of funk - and a killer record from one of the most unique guitarists ever! George Freeman's got a sound and a style unlike any other player we can think of - an approach to funky guitar that's often got a really hard touch on the strings, and which gets nice and noisy at the best funky moments. Freeman's probably best known for the few obscure records he cut with Groove Holmes, but this album's his out and out masterpiece - a rare one-off session cut in the funky Philly scene and supervised by DJ Sonny Hopson - and featuring a rare mix of players that includes Caesar Frazier on organ and Charles Earland on Arp! The mix of organ and Arp is really incredible - especially on the side-long jammer "Franticdiagnosis", which runs for nearly 20 minutes, and is one of the most messed-up funky jazz jams of the 70s! Other players include Von Freeman on tenor sax and Dave Hubbard on alto flute - and the album features the legendary jazz dance track "The Bump", plus the cuts "Free-Man" and "God Bless The Child". © Dusty Groove, Inc.

Bam-Boo Records, GR003, 1972

Bam-Boo/Shout, SHOUT-241, 2013

Recorded At Media Sound Studios, Electric Lady Studios, New York

Musicians:

George Freeman - Guitar

Von Freeman - Tenor Saxophone

Dave Hubbard - Alto Flute

Caesar Frazier - Organ

Charles Earland - ARP Synthesizer

Gary Jenkins - Drums

Eddie Moore - Bass Drum, Cymbal

Donald Rivers - Percussion, Gores, Cowbell, Tambourine

Billy Connors - Congas

Tracks:

1. Franticdiagnosis {George Freeman} (19:16)

2. The Bump {George Freeman} (7:56)

3. Free-Man {George Freeman} (8:22)

4. God Bless The Child {Billie Holiday} (5:22)

Credits:

Producer - Sonny Hopson

Assistant Producer - Beverley Whitehead

Arranger - George Freeman

Cover Design - Lewis Buo Anderson

Cover Model - Paulete George

Gene Ammons - The Black Cat! (1970) [re-rip>true flac]

One of Gene Ammons' best late-period albums, 1970's Black Cat is a bluesy, low-key album and a comparative anomaly: a primarily acoustic soul-jazz album! Ammons was experimenting heavily with the amplified, feedback-laced electric saxophone during this period, but for Black Cat he sticks to his familiar unamplified tenor, playing raunchy gutbucket lines over Ron Carter's warm, deep-toned bass, Idris Muhammad's laid-back drums, and Harold Mabern's twinkling piano (yes, piano, not the soul-jazz cliché Hammond organ). Most of the time, only guitarist George Freeman is plugged in, but even he plays with clean-toned restraint. The centerpiece tracks are the funky soul-jazz blues "Piece to Keep Away Evil Spirits" and the more danceable, groove-oriented "Jug Eyes," which would become two of Ammons' most popular tracks, but the surprises are a pair of pop covers, Gary White's "Long Long Time" (popularized by Melanie and Linda Ronstadt) and the Beatles' "Something." Most soul-jazz covers of pop songs sound like boring, uninspired feints towards radio airplay, but Ammons turns both of these melodic ballads into solo showcases for himself and Mabern that show off both players at their finest. ~ Stewart Mason, AMG.

Prestige Records, PRST 10006, 1971

Recorded 11^th November, 1970 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Track Listing:

A1. The Black Cat! {George Freeman} (5:34)

A2. Long Long Time {Gary White} (4:28)

A3. Piece To Keep Away Evil Spirits {Gene Easton} (7:48)

B1. Jug Eyes {Gene Ammons} (8:07)

B2. Something {George Harrison} (3:18)

B3. Hi Ruth! {Gene Ammons} (5:07)

Personnel:

Gene Ammons - Tenor Saxophone

Harold Mabern - Piano, Rhodes Piano (#A2,B2)

George Freeman - Guitar

Ron Carter - Bass

Idris Muhammad - Drums

Bill Fisher - Conductor [Strings] (#A2,B2)

Credits:

Producer - Bob Porter

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Arranger - Bill Fisher (#A2,B2)

Design - Don Schlitten

Liner Notes - Harry Abraham, WHAM, N.Y. (January 1971)

One of the great funky albums that Gene Ammons cut for Prestige at the start of the 70s - quite different than his earlier work for the label, and a very different showcase for his tenor genius! The whole lineup here is amazing - a quintet that features heavy drums from Idris Muhammad, piano and Fender Rhodes from Harold Mabern, bass from Ron Carter, and some tremendously smoking guitar from the great George Freeman! Freeman goes nuts on the funky cut "The Black Cat" - and other tracks include "Jug Eyes", "Hi Ruth", "Something", and "Piece To Keep Away Evil Spirits". © Dusty Groove, Inc.

Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt - You Talk That Talk! (1971) [vinyl>flac]

A good old-fashioned duet album by Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt, longtime friends who recorded several albums together, 1971's You Talk That Talk lacks the can-you-top-this cutting contest duels that the tenor saxophonists could occasionally engage in on-stage. Instead, a relaxed, swinging vibe prevails, as Stitt and Ammons trade choruses over a loose, funky backdrop provided by organist Leon Spencer and Ammons' usual rhythm section of guitarist George Freeman and drummer Idris Muhammad. On side one of the album, Ammons plays his new toy, the Varitone electric sax, which basically sounds like a regular saxophone played through a guitarist's chorus and delay pedals. The thick, kind of muddy sound recalls Miles Davis' contemporaneous jazz-rock experiments and contrasts not unpleasantly with Stitt's fleet-fingered solos. On the less dated-sounding second side, Ammons and Stitt settle into a more familiar all-acoustic setting, culminating in a fine pair of solos on the ballad standard "Body and Soul," both men playing tribute to the great Coleman Hawkins while maintaining their own unique styles. ~ by Stewart Mason, AMG.

Prestige Records, PRST 10019, 1971

Recorded 8^th February, 1971 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Musicians:

Gene Ammons - Tenor Saxophone

Sonny Stitt - Tenor Saxophone

Leon Spencer - Organ

George Freeman - Guitar

Idris Muhammad - Drums

Tracks:

A1. You Talk That Talk! {Leon Spencer} (5:56)

A2. Body And Soul {Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour} (4:14)

A3. The People's Choice {Harold Ousley} (6:53)

B1. Katea's Dance {Sonny Stitt} (6:41)

B2. The Sun Died {Ray Charles, Hubert Giraud, André Gregory, Pierre Leroyer} (4:36)

B3. Out Of It {Harold Vick} (4:57)

Credits:

Supervision - Bob Porter

Recording Engineer - Rudy van Gelder

Art Direction - Tony Lane

Artwork [Lettering] - Bill Adams

Photography - Al Johnson

Liner Notes - Greg Hall