Backgrounder: Bobby Timmons - Soul Time

Pianist Bobby Timmons's Soul Time is an early soul-jazz classic. Recorded for Riverside over two days in August 1960 while Timmons was a member of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, the album's line-up of musicians assembled by Timmons was ingenious. Since it was Timmons's record date, he knew he'd get a good chunk of the vinyl time and get to record four originals—Soul Time, So Tired, Stella B. and One Mo'. The artists he chose were a sensational soul-jazz fit: Blue Mitchell (tp), Bobby Timmons (p), Sam Jones (b) and Art Blakey (d).

The trumpet gave Timmons a vocalist of sorts, since Mitchell was lyrical and played like a dancer. On the bottom, Timmons had the rock-solid snap of Jones and the stormy, basso rhythm of Blakey, complete with his famous press rolls. In other words, Timmons had all the muscle he needed to push him forward and plenty of space to play soulfully, weaving around Mitchell.

The three standards were The Touch of Your Lips, Sposin' and You Don't Know What Love Is.

Soul Time wasn't released by Riverside until 1962, after Timmons left the Jazz Messengers. With the success of his composition Dat Dere and Moanin', Timmons decided to become a trio leader and was replaced on piano in the Messengers by Cedar Walton. 

Looks like this one is available on 180-gram vinyl from Fresh Sound here.

Here's the complete Soul Time without ad interruptions...