Soul-Jazz Piano & Composers




Horace Silver forever holds the title of lead soul-jazz composer and keyboard man. "Song for My Father" epitomizes not only his talent, but the truly eternal greatness of the era's best products. The tune also typifies the maddening tendency of Silver LPs to have one inescapable monster hit, while the rest is "merely" great listening. Silver's work remained remarkably consistent from the hard bop of the 1950s through the discofied funk of the 1970s. Herbie Hancock, Bobby Timmons, Duke Pearson, Neal Creque, and a host of others also made their stamp as pianist-leaders and arranger-composers.

Buying: Original Blue Notes, Prestige, and rarer items are plentiful. Many from the mid-1960s, mod-boogaloo period (including electric piano) are very worthwhile.



Soul-Jazz Piano/Composer LPs

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Rating
7Jamey Aebersold: [Jazz & Rock] Nothin' But Blues--Volume 2 of A New Approach to Jazz Improvisation; AJA JA-1211 (instruction; w/book)
6David Briggs: Keyboard Sculptures; Monument SLP-18119; 1969
7Ray Bryant: Lonesome Traveler; Cadet LPS-778; 1966
7The Cabildos Three: Yuxtaposicion; Thuban Six THS-LP-9014 (soul-jazz piano/Latin jazz/Brasil "Collection Samba"; reissued in Italy as Schema SCEB-902LP)
8The Cabildos Three: Cross Fire; Vroommm VRL-609 (soul-jazz piano/conga-percussion "African Jewel"/funky rock "Devilry Time"/Brasil-bossa "Max's Movida"; reissued in Italy as Schema SCEB-903LP; title cut is essentially James Brown: "Hot Pants" with guitar)
8Doug Carn: Infant Eyes; Ovation/Black Jazz BJ-3; 1971 (spiritual soul jazz featuring the voice of Jean Carn)
8Doug Carn: Spirit of the New Land; Ovation/Black Jazz BJQD 8; 1972
7Doug Carn: Revelation; Ovation/Black Jazz BJQD 16; 1973
8Doug Carn: Adams Apple; Ovation/Black Jazz BJQD 21; 1974 (partly Moog)
8Doug & Jean Carn: Higher Ground; Ovation OV-1702; 1976 (compilation)
Catalyst; Buddah/Cobblestone CST-9018; 1972
5Eileen Cohan: Modern Dance-Chicago; Orion LP-113 (Gus Giordano)
Harold Corbin: Soul Brother; Roulette Birdland SR-52079
8[Earl] Neal Creque: Creque; Buddah/Cobblestone CST-9005; 1972
8Neal Creque: Contrast!; Buddah/Cobblestone CST-9023; 1972
8Deodato: Prelude; CTI 6021; 1972
7Dee Felice Trio: In Heat; King/Bethlehem BS-10,000 (James Brown prod.)
6George Duke: Save the Country; Pickwick SPC-3588 (reissues United Artists)
7Herbie Hancock: Blow-Up ST; MGM SE-4447 (w/the Yardbirds)
8Herbie Hancock: Fat Albert Rotunda; Warner Bros. 1834
6Craig Hundley Trio: Arrival of a Young Giant; World Pacific WPS-21880; 1968
6Craig Hundley: Rhapsody in Blue; Liberty/World Pacific WPS-21900
7Ahmad Jamal with Voices: Cry Young; Chess/Cadet LPS-792; 1967
7Harold Johnson Sextet +: House on Elm Street; Revue RS-7201; 1967
8Harold Johnson Sextet: Everybody Loves a Winner; Revue RS-7204; 1968
7The Ramsey Lewis Trio: More Sounds of Christmas; Cadet LPS-745; 1964
7Ramsey Lewis: Mother Nature's Son; Cadet LPS-821; 1968 (Beatles tunes; with Moog, breakbeats)
7The Ramsey Lewis Trio: Another Voyage; Cadet LPS-827; 1969
7Ramsey Lewis: Them Changes; Cadet LPS-844; 1970 (live)
7Ramsey Lewis: The Groover; Cadet CA-50020; 1972
7Ramsey Lewis: Funky Serenity; Columbia KC-32030; 1973
8Ramsey Lewis' Newly Recorded All-Time Non-Stop Golden Hits; Columbia KC-32490; 1973
6Ramsey Lewis: Sun Goddess; Columbia PC-33194; 1974
7Junior Mance: That Lovin' Feelin'; Audiofidelity/Milestone MSP-9041; 1972/?? (rec. earlier, updated before release)
7Les McCann Ltd.: Bucket o' Grease; Limelight LS-86043 (Latin soul; w/Aki Aleong, Booker T. Robinson, Jose Torres..; at least some listed as monaural LM-82043 are stereo)
7Les McCann: Layers; Atlantic SD-1646; 1973 (standout: "The Harlem Buck Street Dance")
6Middlebrook Musical Ensemble (& Pick-Up Band); Ranwood R-8109; 1973
6Phil Moore III & the Afro-Latin Soultet: Wild!; Capitol/Tower ST-5051
7Phil Moore III & the Afro Latin Soultet: Afro Brazil Oba!; Capitol/Tower ST-5085
8Phil Moore, Jr.: Right On; Atlantic SD-1530; 1969
6Duke Pearson: The Phantom; Blue Note BST-84293 (with Bobby Hutcherson, Patato Valdes..)
6Duke Pearson: Merry Ole Soul; Blue Note BST-84323; 1969 (Xmas)
7Duke Pearson: It Could Only Happen with You; Blue Note BN-LA317-G; 1974/1970 (w/Flora Purim)
[Quartette Tres Bien]
7Don Randi: Love Theme from "Romeo & Juliet"; Capitol ST-287 (prod. David Axelrod)
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8Jim Reed Combo [Memories of Maxwell Field Officers Club]; National Recording Corp. NRC-LPA-11; 1960 (soul-jazz piano/Latin jazz/exotica/lounge act/military; very progressive for its day and obscurity)
7Patrice Rushen: Preclusion; Prestige P-10089; 1974
6Patrice Rushen: Before the Dawn; Prestige P-10098; 1975
8Lalo Schifrin: Piano Espanol--The Magic Touch of Lalo, his Piano, & Orchestra; Tico SLP-1070; 1960
7Lalo Schifrin: Bossa Nova--New Brazilian Jazz; Audio Fidelity AFSD-5981/AFLP-1981; 1962 (w/Leo Wright, Rudy Collins, Christopher White, Jose Paulo, Jack Del Rio;; reissued as The Other Side of Lalo Schifrin; AFSD-6195; 1968)
8Lalo Schifrin: Once a Thief & Other Themes; Verve V6-8624; 1965
8Lalo Schifrin: Gone with the Wave ST; Colpix SCP-492; 1965
Lalo Schifrin: Murderer's Row; Colgems COSO-5003
6Lalo Schifrin: Piano, Strings, & Bossa Nova; MGM SE-4410
7Lalo Schifrin: Lalole--The Latin Sound of Lalo Schifrin & his Orchestra; Roulette SR-42013
8Lalo Schifrin: The Liquidator ST; MGM SE-4413
8Lalo Schifrin: Lalo=Brilliance; Roulette Birdland SR-52088 (Mid-East jazz/bossa/Indo-jazz)
7Lalo Schifrin: Music from Mission Impossible; Dot DLP-25831
6Lalo Schifrin: Cool Hand Luke ST; Dot DLP-25833
7Lalo Schifrin: There's a Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin' On; Dot DLP-25852
8Lalo Schifrin: More Music from Mission Impossible; ABC/Paramount PAS-5002
7Lalo Schifrin: Mrs. Pollifax--Spy; United Artists; 1970 (if LP exists)
8Lalo Schifrin: Mannix ST; ABC/Paramount PAS-5004
8Lalo Schifrin: Bullitt; Warner Bros. 1777; 1968
7Lalo Schifrin: Che! ST; Tetragrammaton T-5006 (w/Francisco Aguabella, Mongo Santamaria, Chino Valdez, Armando Peraza, Jose Mangual, Bill Plummer..)
6Lalo Schifrin: Enter the Dragon ST (Chop 201; also there is a 2-LP Japanese version)
5Lalo Schifrin: Voyage of the Damned ST; Entracte Recording Society ERS-6508; 1977
7[Dizzy Gillespie & the Big Band w/]Lalo Schifrin: New Continent; Limelight LM-82022; 1965 (w/Emil Richards, Francisco Aguabella, Frank Rololino..)
7Horace Silver Trio Vol. 2 10"; Blue Note BLP-5034; 1953 (w/Sabu)
Horace Silver & the Jazz Messengers; Blue Note BLP-1518
7Horace Silver Quintet & Spotlight on Drums; Blue Note BLP-1520 (w/Sabu & Art Blakey)
Horace Silver: Six Pieces of Silver; Blue Note BLP-1539
Horace Silver: The Stylings of Silver; Blue Note BLP-1562
Horace Silver: Further Explorations; Blue Note BLP-1589
Horace Silver: Finger Poppin'; Blue Note BLP-4008
Horace Silver: Blowin' the Blues Away; Blue Note BLP-4017
7Horace Silver: Horace-Scope; Blue Note BLP-4042
7Horace Silver: Doin' the Thing; Blue Note BST-84076 (live at the Village Gate)
7Horace Silver: The Tokyo Blues; Blue Note BST-84110
7Horace Silver: Silver's Serenade; Blue Note BST-84131
9Horace Silver: Song for My Father; Blue Note; 1964
7Horace Silver: The Cape Verdean Blues; Blue Note; 1965
8Horace Silver Quintet/Sextet: The Jody Grind; Blue Note BST-84250; 1967/1966
8Horace Silver Quintet Featuring Stanley Turrentine: Serenade to a Soul Sister; Liberty/Blue Note BST-84277; 1968
7Horace Silver Quintet: You Gotta Take a Little Love; Liberty/Blue Note BST-84309; 1969
8Horace Silver: The Best of; Liberty/Blue Note BST-84325; 1969 (compilation)
7Horace Silver Quintet with Vocals: That Healin' Feelin'; Liberty/Blue Note BST-84352; 1970 (The United States of Mind Phase 1)
8Horace Silver Quintet/Sextet with Vocals: Total Response; Liberty/Blue Note BST-84368; 1972 (The United States of Mind Phase 2)
8Horace Silver Quintet/Sextet with Vocals: All; Liberty/Blue Note BST-84420; 1972 (The United States of Mind Phase 3)
7Horace Silver: In Pursuit of the 27th Man; UA/Blue Note BN-LA054-F; 1973
8Horace Silver; UA/Blue Note Re-Issue Series BN-LA402-H2 (2-LP compilation)
8Horace Silver: Silver 'n Brass; UA/Blue Note BN-LA406-G; 1975
8Horace Silver Quintet: Live 1964; Silveto EMR-1001; 1984 (live)
7Horace Silver: Music to Ease Your Disease; Silveto SPR-105; 1988
7Bobby Timmons w/Johnny Lytle: Workin' Out!; Prestige PRST-7387; 1965
6Cedar Walton: Animation; Columbia JC-35572; 1978 (w/George Butler, Steve Turre, Paulinho da Costa..)
6Larry Willis: Inner Crisis; Groove Merchant GM-514 (People PLEO-2)
7Forrest Wood: Music for the Jazz Class; Hoctor HLP-3051 (soul-jazz piano/percussion/jazz dance)


Partly Soul-Jazz Piano LPs

Rating
7Jack Brokensha Quartet/Lenore Paxton Trio: Steel Blue & Other Hit Tunes; Columbia Special Products CSS-487; 1966 (commerce/jazz-vibes/jazz-piano; made for United States Steel; Jack Brokensha Quartet started in Canada as the Australian Jazz Quintet)
7The Bernard Ebbinghouse Orchestra: The '77 Sound/The Paolo Zavallone Group: Musical Cocktail (No. 3); Bosworth Backgrounds BLP-149; 1977 (production; e-piano/Moog funk/Moog/space-electronic/mod soul/guitar)
7The J Squad; Local Records 9364 (lounge act demo/private press; Richard Frye, piano; Ron Barnes, bass; Wyman Hawkins, drums)
9Leonard King & The Soul Messengers: The Barracuda/I've Been Saved; Inferno 2003 (mod funk/soul-jazz piano/e-piano/gospel)
8Lightfire: Pop Drops; Maritim 47-567-NT; 1974 (funky rock/funk/mod funk/soul-jazz flute/space funk/soul jazz/soul-jazz piano "Marathon Stomp"; Germany)
8Claudio Medeiros/Victor Meshkovsky & Friends: Rotation; Nucleus Keyboard Series KS-221 (Brasilian jazz/funky Moog/piano)
7Peppino Principe Quartet Volume II; Fonit-Cetra LLP-167 (jazz accordian/piano; Italian; jazz quartet featuring the Excelsior Genavox)
7Various: The Best of Chess Soul; MCA/Sugar Hill/Chess CH-9119; 1984 (funk-soul/soul-jazz piano (Ramsey Lewis Trio); mod soul Tony Clarke: "Landslide"; also Checker, Cadet)
8Various: Mo'Plen 3000--Space Killer Tracks from the Past...Til the Third Millenium; IRMA/La Douce 807; 1997/1966-78 (funk/funky rock/soul-jazz piano/soul-jazz organ)
8Various: [Black Power Presents:] Suono Libero--A Trip Through Obscure '70s Jazz-Funk Tracks from Italian Music Library (sic); IRMA/La Douce 806; 1997/1968-84 (funk/soul-jazz organ/soul-jazz vibes/soul-jazz piano/soul-jazz flute/soul-jazz horns/soul-jazz conga/Brasil)
8Various: Trunk Presents the Super Sounds of Bosworth Vol. 2; Trunk Barked 2; 1996 (production; reissue-compilation)


Soul-Jazz Piano/Moog 45s

Rating
8Mr. Jim & the Rhythm Machine: Do the Hot Pants/Midnight in Madrid; Wizdom 1984 (B-side hip soul-jazz piano)
7Lalo Schifrin: Theme from Enter the Dragon/mono; Warner Bros. WB-7735; 1973 (fu funk)
7Lalo Schifrin: Escape from Tomorrow/mono; 20th Century TC-2150; 1974 (not piano but sci-fi Moog funk)
7Lalo Schifrin: Theme from The Master Gunfighter/mono; A&M 1756; 1975 (funky Western w/Moog; Tom Laughlin flick similar to the Billy Jack series)
6Lalo Schifrin: Roller Coaster/The Eagle Has Landed (movie themes); CTI OJ-36; 1977 (disco/mush from "Towering Toccata" LP)


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