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Telmo Fernandez Organ Trio: The Soul Jazz Beat Vol. 1
ByGuitarist Fernández leads the trio alongside drummer Jose Luis Gómez and ex-pat British organist Phil Wilkinson. Fernández has already appeared on one of 2015's most enjoyable albums, the guitar duo Take A Second (Free Code Jazz Records) with Marcos Pin. That album focused on standards, while on The Soul Jazz Beat Vol. 1 Fernández' trio mixes standards such as Lou Donaldson's "Snake Bone," Horace Silver's "Cool Eyes" and Tommy Tucker's "High Heeled Sneakers" with a few original tunes.
The tunes are often structurally straightforward12-bar blues, funky two chord vampsbut the trio invests each one with energy and enthusiasm, digging deep to produce some slinky grooves, irresistible rhythms and beautifully-crafted solos. The Fernández-Wilkinson composition "Tooty Booty" is a case in point, Gómez' funky groove is immediately catchy and serves as a fine foundation for the organ and guitar to trade riffs. Wilkinson leads "Snake Bone," Gómez and Fernández laying down the swinging rhythm. Fernández' "Lennis" gets a gentle Bossa-Nova groove before Gómez kicks in with a more upbeat and up-tempo rhythm and Wilkinson's "Blues For Someone" is a blues shuffle with a loose, open feel.
One tune breaks the mouldDavid Raksin's "Laura." Over Gómez' brushes and Wilkinson's organ chords, Fernández plays the ballad with considered, gentle, grace: a lovely end to the album.
The "Vol. 1" part of The Soul Jazz Beat Vol. 1 suggests that further volumes are on the way. Let's hope so: the Telmo Fernández Organ Trio gives these old school sounds a freshness that brings them right up to datea real pleasure to hear.
Track Listing
The Kid; Tooty Booty; Snake Bone; High Heeled Sneakers; Brown Sugar; Cool Eyes; Lennis; Blues For Someone; A Smooth One; Laura.
Personnel
Album information
Title: The Soul Jazz Beat Vol. 1 | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Free Code Jazz Records
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