Chess Records called Chicago home but the label often looked elsewhere for singers and singles. Usually, this amounted to some variation on direct licensing – independent record producers or studio owners would send sides to Chess, hoping for release – but between 1967 and 1969, Chess sent a number of its artists down to FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals in Alabama. This wasn't a burst of inspiration on the label's part. Chess was following the path of Atlantic, who had considerable success recording Wilson Pickett and Percy Sledge at FAME, but once Atlantic's Jerry Wexler fell out with FAME's Rick Hall, the Alabama studio had space for Chess artists and the Chicago label was willing.
Grant Green was just established as a leader by 1961 when these recordings were made, but this is not the typical Blue Note date that stamped his individuality in following years. Though Green is credited as the leader, those responsibilities are accepted by tenor saxophonist Frank Haynes, one of the most obscure but tastiest players on his instrument this side of Joe Henderson and Stanley Turrentine. The cool, spacious, thoughtful and unhurried sound of Haynes dominates this recording, as Green barely comes up for air on solos or the occasional joint melody line…