BST 84418 (NR)

John Patton - Memphis to New York Spirit

Released - 1996

Recording and Session Information

Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, October 2, 1970
Marvin Cabell, flute, soprano, tenor sax; John Patton, organ; James 'Blood' Ulmer, guitar; Leroy Williams, drums.

tk.2 Steno
tk.4 The Mandingo
tk.5 Bloodyun
tk.12 Footprints
tk.16 Memphis

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
Memphis	John Patton	October 2 1970
Footprints	Wayne Shorter	October 2 1970
The Mandingo	Marvin Cabell	October 2 1970
Side Two
Bloodyun	James Blood Ulmer	October 2 1970
Steno	John Patton	October 2 1970

Liner Notes

Hammond B-3 organists were in great demand from Jimmy Smith's initial impact on the scene in the mid 1950s until about 1960, when, with the coming of fusion, they were pushed aside by electric piano and synthesizer players. Now, B-3s are returning to fashion, as a byproduct of the post-bop (Young Lion) revival. It's often forgotten that some organists were major post-boppers. After all, Smith recorded with Lee Morgan, Tina Brooks and Lou Donaldson. The gospel influence that was a distinguishing feature of post-bop music was present in the work of many Hammond organists as well as in pianist Horace Silver's playing.

The most popular organists — Smith, Shirley Scott, Groove Holmes, Jimmy McGriff — recorded scads of LPs. John Patton didn't have as large a following, although he cut his share of albums on Blue Note. He was too subtle and unpredictable an improviser (and composer) for a lot of fans, and even musicians, to appreciate.

Jazz organ fans like to hear a lot of funky cliches laid on them hot and heavy. Patton's work, though blues tinged and earthy, was and is also fresh and creative. He's thoughtful; he doesn't just hit you in the face with a lot of notes. And he's an advanced, forward looking musician. Consider the people he's worked with on record — Bobby Hutcherson, Grant Green, Tommy Turrentine, and, on this CD, one time Miles Davis tenorman George Coleman and pioneer fusion guitarist James "Blood" Ulmer. These people are thinking, creative musicians.

Patton was born in Kansas City in 1935. After high school, he got a job as pianist for R&B singer Lloyd Price's band and stayed with Price for five years, leaving in 1959 to settle in New York. He'd fooled around with the organ during his time with Price, and, after reaching the Apple, decided to feature it.

He impressed altoist Donaldson and made his Blue Note debut with him in 1962 on The Natural Soul. Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff must've liked what they heard because they put out eight LPs with him as a leader from 1962-69. Since then two previously unreleased albums from that period have been issued, Blue John in 1986 and Boogaloo in 1995.

The selections on this CD previously hadn't seen the light of day (except a few cuts on a British compilation) although the session with Ulmer came close — it was even assigned two catalog numbers. In any event, we now have it, thank goodness.

The personnel on both sessions certainly is better than that heard on most B-3 organ dates. By 1969 George Coleman was an acknowledged star, known for his work with Davis and, prior to that, Max Roach. Ulmer recorded later with Ornette Coleman and a few years after that became highly regarded. Williams, respected as a versatile and musical drummer, appears on both sessions. Cabell, strongly influenced by John Coltrane, may be the least well known of the musicians here, but his work certainly deserves attention. He played thoughtfully, continually striving to come up with fresh ideas, rather than glibly employing stock licks. As The Mandingo, a dreamy piece, and Dragon Slayer indicate, he's also an intriguing writer.

Patton's composition Memphis, played over a boogaloo beat, illustrates what I wrote above about him being subtly unpredictable. It's a sixteen bar tune which Patton states twice at the beginning of the track. However, the first and last phrase of the theme are virtually identical, so that it's momentarily difficult to tell where one chorus ends and the next begins. His Steno, a thirty two bar AABA tune, has a straight ahead swinging beat.

There are also two pieces here by men who were underappreciated in 1970 but are now considered greats, Wayne Shorter's Footprints, a 6/8 blues that's become a jazz standard, and McCoy Tyner's The Man From Tanganyika, on which triplets are used to create a powerfully rolling groove. Ulmer's infectious, medium tempo Bloodyun has a twenty four bar AAB structure. Patton's use of Cissy Strut, written by the Meters, illustrates his R&B roots.

Instead of going for the jugular here, Ulmer performs with restraint, in addition to his normal inventiveness. Note the excellent structuring of his work on Bloodyun, where he exhibits a fine sense of motivic development. Cabell doesn't have great chops, but compensates by making a daring choice of notes, employing wide interval leaps in the process.

By contrast, Coleman ranked among the best tenor technicians of the 1970s, and there are times here when he exhibits his facility, but tastefully; he's not into empty, pyrotechnical display. His work on The Man From Tanganyika is spare, however, and unusually fragmented. It's reminiscent of Coltrane's playing on Impressions (Impulse).

Throughout the disk, Patton exhibits consummate skill as a soloist. Those who dig funk will find plenty of it in his work, but he's got far more going for him. He doesn't rely on cliches like so many B-3 players did in the 1960s. He's very inventive melodically and rhythmically; his work is always earthy but also full of surprises. Note on Memphis and Steno the ease with which Patton swings and the flowing continuity of his improvisation. He paces himself nicely and uses his left hand very well to maintain the momentum of his spots. I like the way he contrasts economical and multi-note playing on Bloodyun and check out how effectively he airs out his solo on The Man From Tanganyika with rests.

He and Williams perform wonderfully in the rhythm section. The versatile Williams isn't overly loud or busy, but buoys the soloist with his loose, relaxed accompaniment. What he plays sounds so appropriate. He's especially impressive on Cissy Strut, where he implies rather than states the beat, superimposing counter rhythms over it.

Groups led by or featuring organists don't have to rely on the tried and true; they can perform as imaginatively as any others, as this CD makes abundantly clear.

—Harvey Pekar
1995