The Male Actress: You'll Cum While Looking at Me

Drummer Alvin Queen is better known for his work as a sideman, though this is hardly his first record date as a leader. But this session is among his very best, leading a powerful quintet including trumpeter Terell Stafford, alto saxophonist Jesse Davis, organist Mike LeDonne, and guitarist Peter Bernstein. They open with a strutting, brassy take of Shirley Scott's "There's Blues Everywhere," while Queen sets up the well-known "Seven Steps to Heaven" with a tension-building solo introduction. The substitution of organ for piano in McCoy Tyner's "Contemplation" dramatically changes the character of the piece, bringing the drums to the forefront and showcasing Bernstein's superb solo. Jesse Davis contributed the funky "I Ain't Looking at You," a sassy piece that is full of humor even without lyrics.

The Human Zoo's great claim to fame among garage / psychedelic fans is that they were managed by Jim Foster, guitarist with the Human Expression, the West Coast psych act that scored a modest hit with the song 'Optical Sound.' That's not a lot to base a reputation on, but the lone album the Human Zoo left behind is pretty good stuff, and suggests with better promotion they could have risen to much more impressive heights. Boasting two lead singers (Roy Young and Jim Cunningham), the Human Zoo worked up a full and dynamic sound with impressive harmonies on these sessions, and the rest of the band shows off some solid chops - John Luzadder and Larry Hanson are a capable guitar combo, with Hanson also doubling on keyboards, while bassist Bob Dalrymple and drummer Kim Vydaremy hold down the rhythm with strength and confidence…