The once-dominant disco group Change enjoyed its final hit with this 1985 album. The lineup had changed radically from the days when Luther Vandross or James Robinson were providing exciting, soulful leads. The leads throughout this session, even on the lone successful single, "Let's Go Together," were more efficient than distinctive. The group's founder, Jacques Fred Petrus, returned to the production helm and recycled the arrangements that once made the group a major act.
This was Specter's fifth album for Delmark Records. It saw the Chicago guitarist team up with singer/harpslinger Lynwood Slim (who wrote or co-wrote four of the songs) and organist Jack McDuff. A smooth and easy listen, Left Turn on Blue shuffles, swings, and bops at the juncture of blues and jazz. From the blues chestnut "Party Girl" to the Albert Collins instrumental "Tremble" to the steady jazz groove of Slim's "Stop! Hold It," this is a very classy album. The horns are nicely done, and jazz buffs will particularly enjoy Specter's brief interjections of other tunes into the songs: "Til the End of Time," "Unleavened Soul," and "Killer Jack."
There was virtually no prior planning for this meeting between organist Jimmy McGriff and altoist Hank Crawford, but none was needed. The veterans had already recorded four prior albums together, so they simply jammed through blues, ballads and a few basic originals without any difficulty; Crawford could play this material blindfolded. McGriff sets the grooves expertly with his foot-pedal basswork, with assistance from guitarist Rodney Jones and drummer Jesse Hameen. The overall result is an enthusiastic session of foot-tapping music. No real surprises occur, but lovers of hard-swinging organ combos have nothing to complain about.
Tune In, Turn On (subtitled To the Hippest Commercials of the Sixties) is an album by Benny Golson featuring music from television advertisements recorded in 1967 and released on the Verve label.
Originally released in 1969 on Stable records (Sam Gopal, Jaklin) this is heavy LSD-laden progressive rock with some great guitar playing. Unfortunately this obscure Scottish band recorded just this one (now beyond rare) album before drifting into anonymity.
Mighty nice work from Kellee Patterson – a singer who should have been huge, given her range of expression – but who's maybe even better as one of the underground soul stars of the 70s! The music here is really a cut above the commercial at the time – tunes that echo some of the uptempo modes of the clubs, but which are always trying for something different too – maybe like some of the hipper female vocal recordings on Philadelphia International, handled here by producer Gene Russell and arranger Larry Farrow. Patterson can soar high one minute, hit some earthy notes the next – and the set's full of original material that really helps her find her groove.