Reuben Wilson

4 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

After a series of sugary soul-jazz dates for Blue Note, Reuben Wilson resurfaced on Groove Merchant with The Sweet Life. The title notwithstanding, the session is his darkest and hardest-edged to date, complete with a physicality missing from previous efforts. Credit tenor saxophonist Ramon Morris, trumpeter Bill Hardman, guitarist Lloyd Davis, bassist Mickey Bass, and drummer Thomas Derrick, whose skin-tight grooves sand away the polished contours of Wilson's organ solos to reveal their diamond-sharp corners. The material, while predictable (i.e., standbys like "Inner City Blues" and "Never Can Say Goodbye"), is nevertheless well suited to the set's righteous funk sound. - Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

PERSONNEL:

REUBEN WILSON, organ
RAMON MORRIS, tenor sax
BILL HARDMAN, trumpet
LLOYD DAVIS, guitar
MICKEY BASS, bass
THOMAS DERRICK,drums

Recorded in New York, c. mid 1970's

TRACKS:

01. Inner City Blues
02. Creampuff
03. Sugar
04. I'll Take You There
05. The Sweet Life
06. Never Can Say Goodbye