Unity [Vinyl] (Vinyl)

Larry Young must have been a name that got placed somewhere in my sub-conscience as a kid, 'cause I've no clue how I came up with it when I was randomly searching for some straight ahead jazz. Didn't know anything about who he was or what he played, but when I saw this album I thought it would be a great addition to my widespread music collection. Man... was I right! It definitely makes for an enjoyable listening experience no matter what your taste, and if you already know you like good jazz organ, look no further. This guy was a master that knows the meaning of "less is more". What a perfect recording I must add. Only hope that I got it on vinyl- rare to find. Oh yah, don't really know why he's known as the Jimmy Hendrix of the Hammond-B... but its cool nevertheless.

     Orig. 1965; reissued 1999. LY, org; Woody Shaw, tpt; Joe Henderson, ten sax; Elvin Jones, dr.When I first heard this album, it didn’t do anything for me. I think I had been expecting something more out of the norm, maybe an early variant on the Mahavishnu Orchestra. (Four years after this session, Young did record with John McLaughlin in the Tony Williams Lifetime.) What this album is, and I missed it then, is a high-level funk-bop album, of the type produced around then by such as Wayne Shorter, Donald Byrd, Bobby Hutcherson and others. It’s a good one too, not least because Young surrounded himself with premiere talent. Woody Shaw was a virtuoso who had just joined or was about to join the Horace Silver quintet, had been friends with Eric Dolphy and was exploring the musical innovations of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner. As for tenor player Henderson, already fluent, he would go on to be one of the premiere tenor sax players in jazz. It’s not necessary to tout the...Read more