Search - Various Artists, Willis Jackson, Richard Groove Holmes :: Party Jazz

The emphasis here is on spirited, upbeat, organ combos, right at the intersection of jazz and early rhythm and blues. Willis "Gator" Jackson, king of the 1950s bar-walking tenor saxophonists, sets the tone and the standard for what follows--booting, muscular, exuberant music. He's matched by the gruff swing of fellow tenor player Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and a host of funky organists such as Jack McDuff and Charles Earland. The tunes include some R&B classics (such as guitarist Grant Green's take on "High Heeled Sneakers") and a few raw-boned blues, as well as a wailing treatment of the nursery tune "Three Blind Mice." Tenor saxophonist Houston Person's soulful "Late Night Lullaby" is a perfect tune to close an evening. --Adam Rains