I must confess that Caesar Frazier was a new name to me even though his 1972 soul classic Hail Caesar is, seemingly, now considered a very valuable, much sought-after, collectable rarity. I'll have to get out there and start looking before Simon Spillett beats me to it!
However, on second thoughts, this particular album is pretty damn good anyway and I can't bear the thought of thumbing through all those Jim Reeves' albums and Buddy Bolden cylinders in the vain hope that I might hit pay-dirt.
No, this album recorded live in Copenhagen last year will do me nicely thank you very much. Frazier captures perfectly the B3 groove. With Swedish tenor player Kullhammer and Danes Wamberg on guitar and Osgood on drums this could easily have been recorded in a juke joint in Philly or Detroit as opposed to a jazz club in Denmark's capital. Over the years, so much great music seems to have happened in that city.
Kullhammer, at times, blows like a man possessed - and indeed he is - a man possessed of the ability to swing without losing the soul groove that permeates all tracks irrespective of the material. Wamberg does likewise but it is the bossman himself, Frazier, who really creates the mood with the others logging on to his inspired comping.
There seems to be a resurgence of B3 combos this year which is fine by me but, it would be a shame if I had to go to Copenhagen to hear one of the best. Lance
Available Stunt Records Sept. 1
Jive Samba; You Don't Know What Love is; King of Leonne; Thieves in the Temple; You've Changed; Night in Tunisia; 1-2-3; I Wanna Make it With You; Willow Weep For me
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