Leon Spencer - Bad Walking Woman (1972) [2014 Rare Groove Funk Best Collection 1000]

Supremely heavy work from organist Leon Spencer – one of his classic jazz funk sessions for Prestige Records, and a record that shows him opening up his sound a bit more than before! The album has Spencer working in a few different lineups – some with small groups that feature Melvin Sparks on guitar and Idris Muhammad on drums – others with some slightly larger instrumentation and even a bit of strings, used in a sophisticatedly soulful style that reminds us a bit of CTI or Kudu backings of the time!

Billy Ver Planck handles the larger arrangements, but even on these Leon's organ is right out front in the mix – really dominating the tunes, and soaring over the top with a newly fluid style that reminds us of Charles Earland at his own best during this time. Titles include the killer funky title cut – "Bad Walking Woman" – plus "When My Love Has Gone", "In Search Of Love", "Down On Dowling Street", "Hip Shaker", and "Bad Walking Woman". Cool cover, too, with a huge collage of photos of the backsides of exactly 99 "bad walking women"!


Tracks:

01 - Hip Shaker
02 - Down On Dowling Street
03 - In Search Of Love
04 - If You Were Me And I Were You
05 - Bad Walking Woman
06 - When My Love Has Gone
07 - When Dreams Start To Fade

Personnel:

Leon Spencer-organ
Hubert Laws-flute,piccolo flute (4,6,7)
Buzz Brauer-flute,English horn,oboe (3,4,6,7)
Sonny Fortune-alto saxophone (5)
Dave Hubbard-tenor sax (1,5)
Virgil Jones-trumpet (5)
Melvin Sparks-guitar (2,4,5)
Joe Beck-guitar (3,6,7)
Idris Muhammad-drums
Buddy Caldwell-congas (4-6)
Unidentified Strings Section (3,4,6,7)