Just like “Unity” this is one of the best Blue Notes in the later Blue Note catalogue for me. The organ provides a special kind of vibe to a jazz setting. But it all depends who plays it and Larry Young plays with such an interesting approach and his style really resonates with me. It feels modern.
The line-up on this session is a great one, with the brilliant Sam Rivers on tenor sax, Grant Green on guitar and Elvin Jones on drums. Sam Rivers stands out for me, with his raw, free-thinking style. I have one album with him as a leader which is one of my favorite albums. I really need to try and get some more of his stuff into the collection. This group really gels together beautifully and the results is a lovely album with lots of melodies getting stuck if your mind long after the needle has left the grooves.
A couple of favorite picks are “Plaza de Toros”, on which Sam Rivers plays an outstanding solo which reminds me a lot of Joe Henderson, and “Paris Eyes” which is a laid back piece with a rememberable theme. All tunes are superb though.
The cover art is one of my favorites by Reid Miles, love the typography, the image and the colour. Really adds to the overall appeal of this album.
Have added quite a few albums to the collection of late, so stay tuned for more great titles. Cheers!