Johnny Hammond - Gears (1975) [2014 Rare Groove Funk Best Collection 1000]

Reissue with the latest remastering. Amazing stuff! Johnny "Hammond" Smith began his career as a simple soul jazz organist – but by the time of this album, he'd teamed up with the mighty Larry Mizell, the genius arranger/producer who'd breathed new life into the careers of Donald Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey. Mizell works with Hammond in the same way he does with other jazz artists – by taking a groove that works best with their solo style, and slowly layering other instrumentation and effects on top of it, so that when the solo kicks in, it's supported on waves and waves of funky sounds and soulful grooves.
Tracks:

01 - Tell Me What To Do
02 - Los Conquistadores Chocolates
03 - Lost On 23rd Street
04 - Fantasy
05 - Shifting Gears
06 - Can't We Smile

Personnel:

Johnny "Hammond" Smith - Organ, Synthesizer, Electric Piano
Larry Mizell - Keyboards (Solina), Backing Vocals
Fonce Mizell - Clavinet, Backing Vocals
Jerry Peters - Electric Piano, Piano
Harvey Mason - Drums
Chuck Rainey - Electric Bass
Craig McMullen, John Rowin - Guitar
Roger Glenn - Flute, Vibraphone
Kenneth Nash - Cymbal, Gong, Percussion
Hadley Caliman - Tenor Saxophone
Julian Priester - Trombone
Michael White - Violin