BST 84295

Reuben Wilson - On Broadway

Released - 1968

Recording and Session Information

Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, October 4, 1968
Trevor Lawrence, tenor sax; Reuben Wilson, organ; Malcolm Riddick, guitar; Tommy Derrick, drums.

3811 tk.2 Baby I Love You
3814 tk.6 Poinciana
3810 tk.8 On Broadway
3812 tk.12 Ain't That Peculiar
3813 tk.16 Ronnie's Bonnie

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
On Broadway	Leiber, Mann, Stoller, Weil	October 4 1968
Baby I Love You	Jimmy Holiday, Ronnie Shannon	October 4 1968
Ain't That Peculiar	Moore, Robinson, White, Tarplin	October 4 1968
Side Two
On Broadway	Leiber, Mann, Stoller, Weil	October 4 1968
Ronnie's Bonnie	Reuben Wilson	October 4 1968
Poinciana	Nat Simon, Bernier	October 4 1968

Liner Notes

REUBEN WILSON — young man on the way up...to Broadway and everywhere! The sound of the organ has been a coming thing since Fats Waller tried it — way back when. Jimmy Smith proved that when he brought the sounds to Harlem over a decade ago.... His jazz idioms made everybody sit up and take notice in an era when it seemed as though the modern sounds had gone as far as they could. Jimmy was followed by some heavy swingers—Groove Holmes, Jimmy McGriff, Jack McDuff and others on down the line. But if you're checking the action for "what's next", take this album with you and meet Reuben Wilson, acquainting you with his own way of "Taking Care of Business." He's everybody you've ever heard rolled into one. But more than anything else—he's his own man!

Reuben Wilson has been unknown to us cool ones who carry the staff of "Jazz Lives—And Always Will." But you're going to hear from him! From the moment your stereo comes alive with his double clutching, smooth, grooving sound from the Hammond, Reuben comes in blowing your mind with the classic movements of On Broadway. The flashing lights and vivid colors of this grand avenue focus into view as Reuben ducks and dances on down Broadway. He is joined in the trek by tenor man Trevor Lawrence, who straddles the wind with some "heavy" movements.

You ever hear an instrument make love? Listen and be gassed, as Reuben trips on through with that Roosevelt Shannon sound of Baby, I Love You. His persistent "love thing" is urged on by the movements of Trevor Lawrence on tenor, the guitar of Malcolm Riddick and the storied drum pattern laid down by Tommy Derrick. It's a love scene hard to leave....but leave it they do with the ever driving sounds of Ain't That Peculiar. That fancy R & B sound never grooved any better than it does in the hands of the refreshing Reuben Wilson Quartet.

Reuben Wilson: New man on Broadway — doing his thing with the zeal and dash of a brightly seasoned vet.

Side two finds the group working their way back up Broadway with a zestful original by Reuben entitled—Ronnie's Bonnie. It's a tasty bit of action that encircles the whole group with the tenor of the wailing Trevor Lawrence complementing the organ of Mr. Wilson in fine fashion. This album is a party! All you have to do is open it up, put it on the turntable and dig.... While these gentlemen of jazz blow your mind with some fantastic stepping on up and down Broadway!

The album's final cut is the rarely recorded Poinciana. The group is led out by the guitar of Malcolm Riddick (remember that name!) who paces the beautiful movements of the scene which is made even stronger by everyone's thing. And for nine minutes and ten seconds they party...right on out of town! And why not? Didn't I tell you this whole bag was a party! Start yours now—and when it's over Reuben Wilson start it again all night—all day.... Swings On Broadway...and everywhere—

Leo Chears
Program Director
KADI-FM

75th Anniversary CD Reissue Notes

After the amazing success of Jimmy Smith in the mid '50s, independent jazz labels were constantly on the lookout for strong, funky organ players who could sell some records. The organ and tenor sax sound was deeply entrenched in urban America. Blue Note has a nice run during those years with John Patton, Larry Young and Freddie Roach. The label's next organ signing was Reuben Wilson, who in 1968 was already 33 years old and had made a name for himself in Los Angeles before coming to New York in December 1966.

Unlike most Blue Note signings, which happen when one musicians recommends another to the label, Reuben Wilson made a demo tape and sent it to Francis Wolff. Frank loved what he heard and in October, Wilson made his first Blue Note album "On Broadway'. He used what was essentially his working band with tenor saxophonist Trevor Lawrence, guitarist Malcolm Riddick and drummer Tommy Derrick. It's interesting to hear Trevor Lawrence, an excellent saxophonist and horn arranger, stretch out. He would later make his reputation with the Paul Butterfield Except for Wilson's "Ronnie's Bonnie", all the tunes on "On Broadway?' are cover tunes of contemporary R&B hits of the day. His original and the title tune became popular club favorites in the '80s.

Michael Cuscuna