Eddie Lockjaw Davis - 1962 - Afro-Jaws

Eddie Lockjaw Davis

1962

Afro-Jaws

01. Wild Rice 4:53

02. Guanco Lament 5:16

03. Tin Tin Deo 5:08

04. Jazz-A-Samba 4:14

05. Alma Alegre (Happy Soul) 5:22

06. Star Eyes 6:20

07. Afro-Jaws 7:36

Bass – Larry Gales

Congas, Bongos, Quinto – Ray Barretto

Drums – Ben Riley

Piano – Lloyd Mayers

Tenor Saxophone – Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

Trumpet – Clark Terry

Trumpet – Ernie Royal

Trumpet – John Bello (tracks: A3, A4)

Trumpet – Phil Sunkel

This set was a change of pace for tenor saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Backed by three trumpeters (Clark Terry gets some solos), a rhythm section (pianist Lloyd Mayers, bassist Larry Gales and drummer Ben Riley) and a percussion section led by Ray Barretto, Lockjaw performs four compositions by Gil Lopez (who arranged all of the selections) plus "Tin Tin Deo," "Star Eyes" and his own "Afro-Jaws." The Afro-Cuban setting is perfect for the tough-toned tenor, who romps through the infectious tunes.

A soul jazz Latin classic -- one that matches the searing tenor work of Eddie Lockjaw Davis with the hard-hitting conga of a young Ray Barretto! The core group of the set is a soul jazz one -- with Lockjaw blowing over rhythm by Lloyd Mayers on piano, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums -- plus a small added trumpet section on a few tracks. Ray comes into the mix with some really tight percussion on the bottom, aided by a few other players at times -- kicking up the tunes and giving them a lot of fire -- something that Davis seems to really respond to in his horn. Thanks should also be given to arranger Gil Lopez, who put together the overall sound of the set -- and the album's a hard groover all the way through, filled with Latin jammers like "Wild Rice", "Jazz-a-Samba", "Guanco Lament", "Afro Jaws", and "Tin Tin Deo"