Johnny Lytle Blue Vibes

Influenced by Milt Jackson, Cal Tjader and Lionel Hampton, who hailed him as one of the greatest vibes players on the scene today, Johnny Lyttle was noted for his brilliant technique and a personal sound ideal for the kind of grooving organ combo he led on Blue Vibes and Happy Ground, his debut albums from the 60s included here. He was good enough to record with the best Louis Armstrong, Hampton, Wynton Kelly, even Miles Davis but, despite a prolific recording career, never achieved iconic status as a jazzman. That was probably more due to his desire for control over his music, which made him refuse to sign up for any major label, than to any lack of talent on his part…

This, the second of Kent's Mod Jazz compilations, documents those points during the 1960s (and sometimes the early '70s, or the late '50s) when jazz, blues, and soul music intersected, sometimes throwing in pinches of pop, soundtrack themes, and Latin beats.