Presenting Joe Williams & Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra

This funky, big band album begins with the bluesy funk of “Get Out My Life, Woman,” famously sampled by the likes of Jill Scott and other hip-hop/R&B acts. “Get out my life, woman, you don’t love me no more!” Williams has a perfect blues shouter voice, injecting blues moans, soulful interjections, and a nice vibrato at times. The horn section perfectly complements his singing, adding textural layers of sound that keep things funky, especially the drummer. It’s nice to see jazz, especially big band styles, remaining close to the necessary funk and trends of the 1960s! The subsequent track is a rousing rendition of Mayfield’s “Woman Got Soul,” one of my favorite soul jams by The Impressions. Though not the smooth, falsetto pitch of Mayfield and The Impressions, it’s a nice effort. “But the woman’s got soul, worth all money and gold!” The band is clearly trying to remain in touch with changing trends in popular music, and the band does not do a horrible job, since Mayfield was influenced by jazz and often utilized jazz-like arrangements for the Chicago-style of soul, but it just doesn’t sound right lacking Mayfield’s voice. Things smooth and mellow out for a blues classic, expertly recorded by Dinah Washington, but Williams tries “Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning.”

Things continue into more jazz standards with “Gee, Baby, Ain’t I Good to You,” though not as smooth as my boy Nat King Cole’s renditions. It’s nice to hear the band play a slightly blues-drenched version, and Joe Williams does his best, so this song works. Williams plays around with the lyrics, adding some more blues-inflected vocalization, and things surprisingly work out! Next, he takes on the Motown classic, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),” which translate well into the big band jazzified version, though not nearly as funky and lovable as Junior Walker’s version. “I want to stop and thank you baby, and tell the world how sweet it is to be loved by you” sounds nice coming from the mouth of Williams, though. “But you brighten up all my days, with your love in so many ways, I want to stop and thank you, baby, how sweet it is to be loved you!” Unfortunately, “Keep Your Hand on Your Heart” and “Evil Man Blues,” though mostly pleasant, lack the fervor, funk, and interesting moments of earlier tracks, although the improvisatory dialogue from Williams is humorous for “Evil Man Blues.”

Things take a gospel route on Duke Ellington’s “Come Sunday,” which, I dislike. But “Smack Dab in the Middle” is a funky blues with a catchy melody and lyrics about Williams’ desire for young women and the nicer things in life, so he “can swing until he satisfies his soul.” The trombone solo is also not horrible, another plus. The horn section and rolling fingers like waves on the piano keyboard keep this simple piece from entering the terrain of boredom. “It Don’t Mean a Thing” is catchy and fun, but the scatting from Williams is something I can do without. One of the worst aspects of most vocal jazz is the preponderance of scatting, a nice attempt to match instrumentalists in their solos, most of the time it is jarring and not very interesting, but Williams definitely tries and at times, evokes the sound of a saxophone. Where things really shine, however, is on the final track, a cover of Ray Charles’ famous cover of “Night Time is the Right Time” which, though lacking the stamp of Ray Charles and his pulsating vocals (and need I mention the invaluable role of the female backup singers, who transform an old blues number into a legendary recording?). But here, the big band adds more texture, some use plunger mutes to accentuate their back up, and though the band really slows down things for the song, it succeeds. For the best, it exemplifies the strengths of Joe Williams at this period, who is truly a blues singer and, occasionally, quite funky for tracks like “Get Out My Life, Woman,” which features a strong backbeat, perfect band accompaniment, and strong vocals from the big man himself. For that song alone, this album escapes obscurity and, to me, reaches 3 stars out of 5. Moreover, I have had the opportunity to hear the reincarnation of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band perform, doing great numbers like “Central Park North” and “Groove Merchant,” showing the world that big band jazz groups can still keep it funky and survive afloat in the post-jazz age of popular music.