BENNY GOLSON — Killer Joe (review)

BENNY GOLSON — Killer Joe album cover Album · 1977 · RnB Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
js
After a promising early career as a hard bop saxophonist, Benny Golson took a break from jazz for a while and concentrated more on studio work and orchestral arranging. When the money laden late 70s rolled around, Columbia talked Golson into recording as a leader again, only this time instead of his classic bluesy bop, Golson recorded this commercially concerned RnB/jazz side, “Killer Joe”. The title of this album may be confusing to some because Quincey Jones had already recorded a very successful version of Golson’s “Killer”, but the version on this album is a re-make, with an even more campy rap about 70s gangsta pimp Joe.

Along with the “Kller Joe” re-make, side one consists of three grooving numbers that fall right in between funk and disco. All of these songs feature good solos and really aren’t too bad if you like this sort of thing. Fortunately Golson does not discofy his “Killer Joe” re-make, but instead keeps the song’s original walking bass groove. Side two opens with a gratuitous pop ballad that sounds like a generic copy of Peaches and Herb’s hits of the time with its male/female vocal exchange. There is not one Golson solo on this bit of commercial fluff. Once this song is out of the way, the rest of the cuts on side two are some of the best on the album. “Easy all Day Long” is a laid back walkin blues with a great Fender Rhodes solo from Booby Lyle, and “Timbale Rock” really takes off as a Headhunters style funk number with driving Latin percussion.

There are certainly a lot of really bad late 70s commercial jazz records out there, but this is not one of them. I would imagine most Benny Golson fans don’t care much for this one, but if you are looking for the better side of 70s party/jazz, this is a good place to start. One more plus is Golson’s classic 70s style arrangements. Benny was an arranger for crime-jazz soundtracks like “Mannix”, “Irionside” and “Mod Squad”, and all of that comes through in this album’s excellent signature horn charts.
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