Greg Skaff: Blues for Mr. T

A tribute to sax great Stanley Turrentine, with whom Skaff honed his craft, the original four-hour session wound up for the most part a live studio set that features plenty of room for organ and guitar to show off their best. Blues for Mr. T is chock full of dexterous guitar and extra juicy B3 across ballads, blues, jazz and straight up funk.

"Baku" opens with Skaff in control and then gets real funky as B3 leads with guitar comping, until several drum breaks signal it is time for Skaff to re-join for what becomes a signature full sound. Farnsworth is solid throughout. Very steady B3 bass pedal work makes for a substantial foundation for Skaff and LeDonne to effectively decorate with quick powerful runs and trenchant chords. The title cut serves notice that Mr. T is not a dude to mess with, as it highlights the B3's incredible range and might. Skaff displays an expert command of the fretboard on the bluesy "Rambler" and the classic B3/guitar sound of "Super 80," which also features a succulent organ solo. The Freddie Hubbard composition "Delphia" begins with a delicate guitar solo before the trio takes the piece through blues, jazz, funk and gospel.

Nothing lean here. This is big, fat and high in carbs.

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