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| 4.820 Ft
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| 1. | Behind the 8 Ball
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| 2. | Song of the Universe
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| 3. | Amen
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| 4. | Tacos Joe
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| 5. | Roll 'Em Pete
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| 6. | Just a Closer Walk With Thee
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| 7. | St. James Infirmary
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| 8. | Sinnin' Sam
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Jazz
Baby Face Willette - Organ
Ben White - Guitar
Eugene Bass - Drums
Gene Barge - Sax (Alto)
Jerold Donavon - Drums
Tracks #1-8 from "Behind The 8 Ball" (Argo LP LPS-749)
Recorded in Chicago, IL, November 30, 1964
Baby-Face Willette (org)
Ben White (g), Jerold Donavon (d), Gene Barge (as, on #3 only)
Tracks #9-16 from "Mo-Rock" (Argo LP 739)
Recorded in Chicago, IL, March 27 & April 2, 1964.
Baby-Face Willette (org)
Ben White (g) & Eugene Bass (d)
Roosevelt "baby face" Willette's early background was in gospel piano but after taking up jazz organ he appeared on Blue Note LPs by Lou Donaldson and Grant Green before making albums of his own.
After recording a handful of sessions for Blue Note in the early '60s (including two albums as a leader), organist Baby Face Willette abruptly left the label and soon resurfaced on Argo. Issued on the Argo label in 1964, these two albums are a prime example of soulful jazz organ from the time when funk was in its infancy. Both sets are further proof that if Willette hadn't been so underexposed, He certainly wouldn't be quite so underrated.
* Don Bronstein - Cover Photo, Design
* Esmond Edwards - Producer
* Ron Malo - Engineer
* Shigeo Miyamoto - Mastering
Behind the 8-Ball was Baby Face Willette's second album for Argo, his second of 1964, and -- unfortunately -- the last one he would record as a leader, for reasons that aren't well-documented. Compared to his past releases, Behind the 8-Ball is short on original compositions (only two of eight tracks), but the emphasis here is more on Willette's deep roots in gospel and R&B, two circuits he worked extensively during his pre-Blute Note dues-paying days. This perhaps accounts for the brevity of the album -- only two cuts top the five-minute mark -- but it also provides a chance to hear Willette at his most soulful, playing the music he grew up with. Willette is again joined by guitarist Ben White, plus new drummer Jerold Donavon, who are usually solid if nothing special; Willette's Hammond B-3 is the star. On the R&B side, Willette's short, self-penned title track is strongly reminiscent of the very early rock & roll era, and his cover of Big Joe Turner's "Roll 'Em Pete" features some nifty trade-offs with White. From the gospel side of the equation, altoist Gene Barge makes his only appearance on the traditional standard "Amen"; there's also the R&B-ish waltz "Sinnin' Sam" and an extended take on "Just a Closer Walk," which had recently been recorded in similar fashion by Willette's former Blue Note compatriot Grant Green. Elsewhere, Willette throws a curveball with his lengthy original "Song of the Universe"; a confused White seems to have difficulty keeping up with the hyperspeed waltz time, but Willette tosses out lightning-quick leads and riffs with a light, nimble touch. Again, it's not quite as good as his Blue Notes (with their stellar supporting casts), but for a look at Willette's roots, Behind the 8-Ball is a solid acquisition, and worth tracking down for devotees as a Japanese CD reissue.
---Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Baby Face Willette
Active Decade: '60s
Born: Sep 11, 1933 in New Orleans, LA
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Soul-Jazz, Hard Bop
Highly underrated as a soul-jazz organist due in large part to a scanty discography, Baby Face Willette remains a somewhat mysterious figure, a quiet, reserved man who disappeared from the jazz scene after the first half of the '60s. Born Roosevelt Willette on September 11, 1933 (there is some dispute as to whether he was born in New Orleans or Little Rock), his parents were heavily involved in the church, and thus his music had deep roots in gospel. Studying with his pianist uncle Fred Freeman, Willette played in several gospel groups as a teenage pianist and soon branched out into R&B, which gave him the opportunity to tour the country with numerous outfits. He settled in Chicago for a time and began concentrating on jazz organ in 1958, but didn't make much headway on the scene until he moved to New York and met Blue Note mainstays like Lou Donaldson and Grant Green. He played on Donaldson's Here 'Tis and Green's Grant's First Stand in January 1961, and the same month recorded his own debut, Face to Face. A few months later, he recorded the follow-up, Stop and Listen, which is generally regarded as his best work. After that initial burst of activity, Willette went on to form his own regular trio in 1963, and moved over to the Argo label, where he recorded two sessions in 1964: Mo-Roc and Behind the 8 Ball. He had a regular engagement at a South Side Chicago lounge from 1966-1971 (approximately), but largely vanished from the jazz scene afterwards and died in obscurity.
---Steve Huey, All Music Guide |
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