Leon Spencer: Where I'm Coming From (Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf series) [CRAFT]

Why you'll love it

This Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf pressing is on 180g vinyl. Spencer's Hammond turns Stevie Wonder's "Superstition," Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man" and Curtis Mayfield's "Give Me Your Love" into deep soul-jazz grooves, with Hubert Laws, Jon Faddis, Frank Wess and Idris Muhammad in the band.

This edition

• Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf series
• 180g vinyl
• Stereo mix

About the album

By 1973 the hits on the radio were too good for a soul-jazz organist to leave alone. Leon Spencer, the Prestige label's Hammond man, went into Rudy Van Gelder's studio in January that year and set about the best of Stevie, Marvin and Curtis, with producer Ozzie Cadena at the desk and Ed Bogas writing the arrangements.

"Superstition" stretches past six minutes and struts the whole way, "Trouble Man" smoulders, and "Give Me Your Love" and the Four Tops' "Keeper of the Castle" get the full horn treatment from Jon Faddis, Victor Paz, Seldon Powell and Frank Wess, over Joe Beck's guitar, George Duvivier's bass and Grady Tate's drums. The title track dates from a February 1972 session with Hubert Laws on flute, Sonny Fortune on alto, Melvin Sparks on guitar and Idris Muhammad on drums, and Spencer's own "The Price a Po' Man's Got to Pay" sings the blues.

It was the fourth and last of his Prestige albums, and a fine way to sign off. A Hammond organ is a beautiful instrument and a terrible thing to carry up stairs, so we're happy to leave both jobs to the professionals.

Also at Kops: more Leon Spencer on vinyl · browse Modern Jazz

Tracklist

Listen

On Prestige / Craft (cat# CR00525), a reissue of the 1973 album.