Melvin Sparks - Legends Of Acid Jazz '1996

Tracks list

Melvin Sparks Grant Green and George Benson influences are the basis of a style
that can drift into licks playing, but typically pushes into more heady
territory. The spectrum of the veteran soul-jazz guitarists abilities is well
covered in this satisfying compilation of his first two releases as a leader:
1970s Sparks! and 1971s Spark Plug. The important action here plays out between
Sparks and organists Leon Spencer (six tracks) and Reggie Roberts (four tracks).
Drummer Idris Muhammad piles on a relentless attack that makes no concession to
subtlety, although some tracks could have benefited from a more varied and
nuanced approach. The horn parts are mostly redundant, providing commentary
where none is required. Similarly, the solo contributions of tenor players
Houston Person, John Manning, and Grover Washington and trumpeter Virgil Jones
play a secondary role to the guitar-organ-drums axis. While some tracks
dissipate their energies before they are done, the longest track, an 11-minute
version of the Eric Burdon & War hit Spill the Wine, is a highlight. The other
key tracks are a cool treatment of Sly Stones Thank You; Sparks originals Spark
Plug, Conjunction Mars, and Dig Dis; and the compilations jazzier side revealed
on the standards I Didnt Know What Time It Was and Alone Together. These six
tracks account for most of the CDs 75-plus minutes, making it quite manageable
for the listener to work around the occasional stretches of funky filler that
crop up elsewhere on the release.


Tracks:

01.	Thank You (Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Again)	8:08
02.	I Didnt Know What Time It Was	6:35
03.	Charlie Brown	5:55
04.	The Stinker	7:00
05.	Spill The Wine	11:10
06.	Whos Gonna Take The Weight	9:20
07.	Spark Plug	8:50
08.	Conjunction Mars	8:11
09.	Alone Together	4:14
10.	Dig Dis	6:45

Personnel:

Drums – Idris Muhammad
Guitar – Melvin Sparks
Organ – Leon Spencer* (tracks: 1 to 6), 
Organ – Reggie Roberts (tracks: 7 to 10)
Saxophone – Grover Washington, Jr. (tracks: 6 to 10), 
Saxophone – Houston Person (tracks: 3, 4), 
Saxophone – John Manning (tracks: 1 to 5)
Trumpet – Virgil Jones

Related artists