One of my favorite 1970s Hammond organists is Leon Spencer. Along with Melvin Sparks (g) Idris Muhammad (d) and Buddy Caldwell (cga), Spencer was a virtual house organist for Prestige during that decade. In addition to recording behind Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons, Spencer was on several Blue Note albums by Lou Donaldson.
In between, Spencer recorded a handful of leadership albums for Prestige. His finest, Louisiana Slim, is perfect on every score. Recorded in 1971 and produced by Bob Porter, the band featured Leon Spencer (org), Virgil Jones (tp), Grover Washington, Jr. (ts/fl), Melvin Sparks (g), Idris Muhammad (d) and Buddy Caldwell (cong). The tracks are Louisiana Slim, covers of Marvin Gaye's Mercy, Mercy Me and the Carpenters' (They Long to Be) Close to You, and Our Love Will Never Die and The Trouble With Love. Other than the two pop covers, the other three are by Spencer.
Mercy, Mercy Me is one of the finest and hippest covers of the soul anthem. Close to You swings hard, and you might not know what song it is unless told. And the Spencer originals all have enormous feel and groove. Bob Porter understood this music so well. It was a great move to include the two pop hits and a stroke of genius to let Our Love Will Never Die and The Trouble With Love stretch out to occupy the entire second side. Bob's production was flawless and he pulled the absolutely best work out of these musicians.
I came to the album in 1971 through Mercy, Mercy Me, when the track became Batt Johnson's midnight theme on WRVR-FM, New York's major jazz station then. After I bought the album, I flipped and eventually wore out three copies.
Leon Spencer died in 2012; WRVR-FM died in 1980.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Leon Spencer's Louisiana Slim here.
JazzWax clip: Here's the entire album...
Others in my "perfect album" series:
- Johnny Richards — Something Else
- Maynard Ferguson — A Message From Newport
- Herb Pomeroy — Band in Boston
- Oscar Pettiford — Oscar Pettiford Orchestra in Hi-Fi, Vol 1.
- Horace Silver — Horace-Scope
- Paul Desmond/Jim Hall — Glad to Be Unhappy
- Frank Wess — Frank Wess Quintet
