‘Plays Hallucination’ was recorded in 1965, shortly after its chief architect witnessed a vibraphone performance from Lionel Hampton. It features warm, spiritual soul-jazz with a penchant for tight grooves and bustling percussion. The listen as a whole is diffuse, but that shouldn’t reduce the eminent pleasure of the tracks. If there is a problem, it is in the protruding simplicity of some elements (see: the piano on ‘Jurkit’). That said, there are enough bold tempo changes to maintain an inventive, free atmosphere. The instigator of funk ‘swagger’ is the guitar, which struts cockily around the arrangements with a sock down the front of its trousers. Mo-jazz Records continue to unveil soul-jazz gems.
23/30
A favourite: ‘Tutzy’
‘Plays Hallucination’ is out now via mojazzrecords.
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