Joe Castro

The band immortalised here was a regular working unit in California in 1960, recording sets under Teddy Edwards' leadership for both Contemporary and Pacific Jazz. The quartet's major label showcase on Atlantic came here, under pianist Joe Castro's name, and it's the group's mildest, least-intriguing set. Despite the title, much of the album has an atmospheric, pianistic quality, with Edwards' granular tone sounding thinner, more refined than on his own dates. Groove Funk Soul as an album only achieves a modicum of those three qualities on the cut "Play Me the Blues", where Edwards gets down and dirty, drummer Billy Higgins works up a nice little sweat, and bassist Leroy Vinnegar unleashes some funky soul groove. Elsewhere the album sounds more upscale nightclub than grimy dive bar, lots of brushwork and tidy intimacy.

Joe Castro - Groove Funk Soul (1960) {2013 Japan Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series WPCR-27264}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 209 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 88 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 25 Mb | 5% repair rar | 24-bit remaster
© 1960, 2013 Atlantic / Warner Japan / WEA / Rhino | WPCR-27264
Jazz / Bop / Soul Jazz / Piano

Features 24 bit remastering and comes with a mini-description. On this inspired release, world renowned pianist Joe Castro is joined by Teddy Edwards, Leroy Vinnegar and Billy Higgins. This soul-jazz recording features the standouts “Groove Funk Soul,” “That’s All,” “Yesterdays” and “Play Me The Blues.”

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