Fats Theus - Black Out (1970/2016) [HDTracks]

Although its headliner remains little-known, saxophonist Fats Theus' Black Out boasts a most impressive pedigree one of the first releases on producer Creed Taylor's fledgling CTI imprint, its supporting cast includes soul-jazz demigods Grant Green on guitar, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Idris Muhammad on drums. The level of musicianship across the record's six tracks is absurdly high if anything, Theus is the weak link in the chain, with bop-oriented solos that occasionally lean toward woodenness in comparison with the sublime funkiness of his collaborators. Taylor's production is nevertheless inventive the opening cut "Bed of Nails" even features a musical saw and unlike some of his other CTI efforts, Black Out avoids smooth jazz trappings in favor of raw, down-and-dirty grooves.