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Grant Green: Carryin' On

By John Ballon
December 19, 2003
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Having firmly established himself as the '60s jazz guitarist second only to the great Wes Montgomery, Grant Green was willing and able to move into something new and give himself up to the emerging funk wave that would seep across the '70s.

Attacked by purists as Grant's grand selling-out, these recordings have been rediscovered and widely sampled by legions of acid-jazz aficionados. Hypnotically rhythmic and quintessentially grooving, the five tracks on this straight reissue are all exceptionally tasty bursts of authentic funk. Carryin' On contains two solid covers, the Meters' "Ease Back" and James Brown's "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door I'll Get It Myself," which alone make it well worth the money. These are about the funkiest tracks ever laid down by any jazz artist, completely danceable and sample ready. In fact, they are so infectious that they have the tendency to evoke uncontrollable movement in ass and limb.

Neal Creaque's "Cease the Bombing," (later covered by Pucho & His Latin Soul Brothers) floats like a smooth sailing trip across the ether with Green majestically at the helm. A consistent pleasure to listen to, this should be one of the first jazz purchases for those who need a beat in the soundtrack of their lives.

Date: 1969
Label: Blue Note

Tracks

1. Ease Back (5:43)

2. Hurt So Bad (6:45)

3. Brown's "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door I'll Get It Myself (6:07)

4. Upshot (9:58)

5. Cease the Bombing (8:50)

Players

Grant Green: Guitar

Claude Bartee: Tenor Sax

Willie Bivens: Vibes

Clarence Palmer: Electric Piano

Earl Neal Creaque: Electric Piano (on "Cease the Bombing" only)

Jimmy Lewis: Fender Bass

Idris Muhammad: Drums

This review first appeared at MustHear.com .

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