REUBEN WILSON — Blue Mode (1969-2014) RM | SHM-CD | Serie Blue Note The Masterworks | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

If Love Bug skirted the edges of free jazz and black power, Blue Mode embraces soul-jazz and Memphis funk in no uncertain terms. Opening with the cinematic, stuttering "Bambu" and running through a set of relaxed, funky grooves -- including covers of Eddie Floyd's "Knock on Wood" and Edwin Starr's "Twenty-Five Miles" -- Blue Mode isn't strictly a jazz album, but its gritty, jazzy vamps and urban soul-blues make it highly enjoyable. Reuben Wilson has a laid-back, friendly style and his supporting band -- tenor saxophonist John Manning, guitarist Melvin Sparks, and drummer Tommy Derrick -- demonstrate a similarly warm sense of tone. While none of them break through with any improvisations that would satiate hardcore jazz purists, they know how to work a groove, and that's what makes Blue Mode a winner. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1. Bambu (8:07)
2. Knock On Wood (6:11)
3. Bus Ride (6:12)
4. Orange Peel (6:39)
5. Twenty-Five Miles (7:14)
6. Blue Mode (7:25)
Personnel :
Drums – Tommy Derrick
Guitar – Melvin Sparks
Organ – Reuben Wilson
Tenor Saxophone – John Manning