Willis Jackson - Bar Wars (1977) [1989]

Willis Jackson, a veteran of the jazz-oriented R&B music of the late '40s, was a powerful tenor in the tradition of Gene Ammons. This is a particularly exciting release with Charles Earland pumping away at the organ, guitarist Pat Martino offering a contrasting solo voice and Jackson in top form, wailing away on the uptempo pieces. The CD reissue of the original LP adds two alternate takes to the program. The chord changes might be fairly basic but Willis Jackson plays with such enthusiasm and exuberance that it almost sounds as if he had discovered the joy of playing music.

Tracks:

01. Later (Bradshaw-Glover-Austin) - 5:56
02. Blue & Sentimental (Basie-Livingston-David) - 3:04
03. Bar Wars (Jackson) - 7:03
04. The Breeze and I (Lecuona-Stillman) - 4:56
05. The Goose Is Loose (Jackson) - 5:05
06. It's All Right with Me (Porter) - 7:13
07. The Breeze and I (alternate take) (Porter) - 5:14
08. It's All Right with Me (alternate take) (Lecuona-Stillman) - 7:02

Personnel:

Willis Jackson - tenor saxophone
Charles Earland - organ
Pat Martino - guitar
Idris Muhammad - drums
Buddy Caldwell - conga

Recorded at the Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, NJ on December 21, 1977.