Main Attraction, The [Remaster]

Typically, Grant Green's final album as a leader gets a bum rap. While it's true that this isn't one of Green's best records, it's not by any means his worst. The band here is large, and the set concentrates on groove rather than guitar flashiness. But what the hell did Green have left to prove? The Main Attraction was produced by Creed Taylor and conducted and arranged by David Matthews. This set includes only three tracks: the nearly 20-minute title track and a pair of other Matthews cuts, "Future Feature" and "Creature." Oh yeah, you get it, the movie themes. Well, don't let the cheesy cover and dumb cut titles keep you from enjoying this solid groover. Green is supported by guitarist Steve Khan, Don Grolnick on keyboards, Hubert Laws on flute, Joe Farrell and Michael Brecker on saxophones, Jon Faddis and Burt Collins on trumpets, drummer Andy Newman, and bassist Will Lee, just to name a few of the players on this slab. While it's also true that these jams sound a bit dated with the phase shifters on the rhythm guitars, it doesn't hurt the punchy, funky soul-jazz riffing any. The title track is the strongest, featuring smoking solos by Green and Laws, and glorious fills by Grolnick. It's so long that it becomes hypnotic to the point that you'll think you're still hearing it well into "Future Feature," the last cut. "Creature," with Grolnick's impressionistic and heavily reverbed electric piano (a la "500 Hundred Miles High"), is a slinky, slow-moving blues tune that slips and slithers around a pair of keyboard figures and Laws' flute before Green reaches in and claims the show. Again, this is solid and greasy soul for another ten-and-a-half minutes. Contrary to jazz critics' opinions, Green had nothing to be ashamed of on Main Attraction. If funky '70s soul-jazz is your thing, you won't go wrong with this one. ~ Thom Jurek|