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

REUBEN WILSON – On Broadway (1968-2014) RM | SHM-CD | Serie Blue Note The Masterworks | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On Broadway, Reuben Wilson's debut for Blue Note, is a little undistinguished, but it remains an enjoyable exercise in late-'60s soul-jazz. Like many of his peers on Blue Note, Wilson's soul-jazz displayed a familiarity with contemporary soul and R&B styles. Not only does he cover R&B hits like "On Broadway," "Baby I Love You" and "Ain't That Peculiar," but the interplay between Wilson, guitarist Malcolm Riddick and Tommy Derrick occasionally recalls Stax, Motown and uptown soul. The combo, which also features tenor saxophonist Trevor Lawrence, remains rooted in jazz, with the organist demonstrating a Jimmy Smith influence, but the jazz feeling is tempered by a desire to work a groove instead of improvising or attempting to reach new sonic territory. And On Broadway is a successful groove record, but in comparison to the two albums that followed, it's a little uneven. Stephen Thomas Erlewine       Tracklist + Credits :