King Curtis, R&B's great tenor sax player, rides grooves like a cowboy does unruly steeds.
Curtis blows ferociously but is always in control, unlike
Junior Walker, whose sax seems to be cussing you out at times (which is
Walker's charm). Accompanied by several noted jazz artists --
Jack McDuff (organ),
Eric Gale (guitar),
Willie Rodriguez (bongos, conga), and
Ray Lucas (drums) --
Curtis serenades and balms on "Harlem Nocturne," bops-u-silly on "Honky Tonk," and boogies on "The Hucklebuck" and "(Let's Do) The Hully Gully Twist." But those are only a small part of the 22 tracks, all of which emphasize
Curtis' patented groove and powerful exhortations. Engineer
Rudy Van Gelder keeps the sound squeaky clean and the levels balanced. Excellent party or card game music.