Legends Of Acid Jazz Vol.2 (EU)

1980年後半に、ロンドンを起点に生まれたACID JAZZムーヴメント。そんなACID JAZZシーンでも伝説とされたアーティストたちの音源をまとめた、1980年代にリリースされたヒット・コンピレーション"LEGENDS OF ACID JAZZ"シリーズが多くの需要にこたえて新たにデジパックで再発。こちらは、サックス奏者ソニー・スティットとオルガン奏者ドン・パターソンによるグルーヴィなトラックをコンパイル。

Two-fer CD reissue combines two 1968 sessions, both featuring Stitt and Patterson, that were recorded on consecutive days (September 23-24, 1968), although one was issued under Patterson's name and the other under Stitt's. The first six songs were issued as the Patterson LP Funk You!, on which Patterson leads a date that also has Sonny Stitt and Charles McPherson on saxes and Pat Martino on guitar. The other players get about as much space as Patterson, and as 1960s jazz with organ goes, this is pretty straight-ahead and boppish, rather than soul-jazz (as so much organ jazz from that decade was). For the bop factor, listen especially to the cover of Sonny Rollins' "Airegin," on which Martino in particular shines. Patterson does get in a more soulful mood on his composition "Little Angie," which has an elegiac mood somewhat similar to occasional slow instrumentals cut by Booker T. & the MG's during that period. The other eight songs were issued as the Stitt LP Soul Electricity!, an album that got its name because, for this session, Stitt plugged his alto and tenor saxophones into a Varitone attachment. What came out, though, was not fusion by any means, but a pretty straight-ahead session that found Stitt his usual competent self. The program is actually on the conservative side, leaning toward standards. Stitt's quartet is rounded out by Don Patterson on organ, Billy Butler on guitar, and Billy James on drums. This isn't the most logical package -- Stitt's half is more straight-ahead in flavor and, more importantly, neither album fits too well into the soul-jazz or acid jazz category -- but for fans of either artist, the material is worth hearing. ~ Richie Unterberger|