Stop & Listen

Baby Face Willette - Stop & Listen

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CD Details

Artist: Baby Face Willette
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2009-02-24
Music Label: Blue Note Records
Soundtracks:

Willow Weep for Me
Chances Are Few
Jumpin' Jupiter
Stop and Listen
At Last
Soul Walk
Work Song
They Can't Take That Away from Me [*]

Music reviews of Stop & Listen

Music Review: a majorly groovy Lou Donaldson/Grant Green school cooker (minus Lou)...!
Rating: 5 Stars

Baby Face Willette may not be a name well known outside Jazz organ maniac circles, but if you are a true '60s Blue Note era groove organ ensemble fan, this album is something to wet your pants over... Featuring Ben Dixon and Grant Green (the remainder of Lou Donaldson's earliest organ combo), Face's style is quite interesting... His basslines cook, his sound is dark and groovy, yet his chops at times remind you of Groove Holmes. (Needless to say he was a stone cold Jimmy Smith disciple, yet had his own thing going.)

A major highlight of this album is WILLOW WEEP FOR ME, a tune that be'dozens of people have recorded be'dozens of times over and over... yet I really do believe this version stands out in terms of the way it swings and is so groovy at the same time... His bass line is really smooth and happening... the solo starts off quite cool and preachy and he's in no hurry to get anywhere, yet if you keep your ear pinned to the speaker, you'll hear him pull out some really clever tricks and runs when you least expect it. - - Grant Green is... well... unmistakably Grant... and Ben Dixon plays in his distinct "Blakey in the pocket" style (his style is 100% Blakey school, but its adapted in a way that has a sensibility that only the deepest Jazz organ combo enthusiast could ever imagine. - - Put together, the level of comfort that these guys obviously had playing together took the session to a level that you can't just get by having "chops" and "talent"... there's a potent "cool" and "blue" chemistry going on hear, of which replication of is quite rare! - - 12 bar blues aside, another thing I like about this album is Face's ability to take very "straight from the book" standards, present them sensibly - - yet in a way that's so ridiculously cool, bluesy and seemingly effortless... at the same time, another treat is CHANCES ARE FEW... Face could cook on the toe tapping tempo blues, no doubt, however, hearing him play slow blues on any of albums is worse the purpose... he preaches, you can smell the grit, taste the whiskey and feel the sweat... Dixon carries the pocket and Grant definitely gets plenty 'a good word in!

All in all, there are great albums and there are great albums... this is one you can listen to over and over and over again... hence the title is aptly put... you may have missed it, but having come across it now, I strongly do agree: you should stop and listen... it WILL amaze you !

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