Roger Glenn: Reachin'

Sticking with a trend that has continued to thrive over the years, Craft Records' Jazz Dispensary imprint is now celebrating its tenth anniversary. Following on the heels of their reissues of The Visitors' Motherland (Muse, 1975) and Joe Henderson's Tetragon (Milestone, 1968), they have now tapped into the West Coast scene so well documented by Fantasy Records in the mid-'70s. Alongside jazz stalwarts such as Bill Evans, Cal Tjader, and Stanley Turrentine, the label was also knee-deep in the fusion and funk sounds of groups like Pleasure and The Blackbyrds. Sitting somewhere between these two styles, Roger Glenn's Reachin' is an ambitious project ripe for rediscovery.

Having reconnected with high school bandmates the Mizell Brothers after also playing on Donald Byrd's Black Byrd (Blue Note, 1973), flutist and vibraphonist Glenn entered Fantasy Studios in early 1976 to record his debut as a leader, backed by top-shelf musicians including Mark Soskin, Paul Jackson, Bill Summers, Ray Obiedo, and Pete Escovedo. The Mizells put their full stamp on the record, wielding the same magic that gave us Donald Byrd's Stepping into Tomorrow (Blue Note, 1974) and Places and Spaces (Blue Note, 1975), as well as The Blackbyrds' City Life (Fantasy, 1975).

The title track kicks off the funk with a crunchy rhythm guitar lick, Glenn's flute voicing the lead melody. Notably, the music carves out its own identity—a distinction that might not have held had the Mizell Brothers simply reused the template they built for flutist Bobbi Humphrey. A samba bacchanal follows on "Rio," featuring the friction-driven cuica and other Brazilian percussion, with Glenn soaring effortlessly above the rhythmic textures. Closing out side one, a pulsating "Don't Leave" finds Glenn on both flute and vibes, while "E.B.F.S." turns the spotlight on Ray Obiedo's vibes and guitar.

Acoustic piano and guitar give "Overtime" a sunny disposition, which Glenn treats as fertile ground for one of his best flute solos on the record. Shifting the mood, Glenn switches to alto and bass flute for "Kick," his phrasing at times recalling the iconic Hubert Laws. "Gloria" changes the tempo again, serving as the album's ballad feature, before "Rezo Chango" taps into pure Santería with bata drums and Pete Escovedo's lead vocal. It is a fitting conclusion to what may be one of the Mizell Brothers' most diverse productions—and a stellar debut for Glenn.