Neal Creque - 1972 - Contrast!

Neal Creque 

1972

Contrast!

01. Kenya (8:00)

02. Help Yourself (4:32)

03. Bacalau (4:24)

04. Happy Go Lucky (2:23)

05. Just A Moment (2:52)

06. D Train (3:27)

07. Love And Life (5:18)

08. Jasmine (2:59)

09. Two Loving Hearts (3:19)

10. All This World Has To Offer (6:00)

Neal Creque - Piano, Electric Piano, Clavinet, Organ, Bells

Billy Butler - Guitar

John Hart - Fender Bass

Kermit Moore - Cello

Al Foster - Drums

James Morrison, Leo Flemming, Richard Landrum, Steve Kroon, William Bivins - Congas, Bongos, Tambourine, Triangle,

Cuica, Shekere, Bells, Oboe [African], Bajo Quinto, Claves, Guiro, Percussion [Other Miscellaneous]

Alfred Brown, Selwart Clarke, Winston Collymore - Viola

A lost soul jazz cooker from the 70s! You might know pianist Neal Creque for his work in Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers -- but here, he's out on his own, and with a really great vibe -- some Latin currents in the rhythms, thanks to a tight team of percussionists

Released on the tiny Cobblestone subsidiary of the Buddah label, this is an exquisite “re-discovery” (what up Wax Poetics?). Neal Creque was a soul-jazz luminary of the late ‘60’s and ‘70’s, recording extensively with Grant Green, and writing and arranging many of Cuban conguero Mongo Santamaria’s funkiest efforts. This album of his is all over the map stylistically, from solo piano tunes to Latin-funk fusion, and it encapsulates a number of varied moods within its relatively short playing time. Not easy to acquire, but if it were, it wouldn’t be nearly as delectable, now would it?