This Unidisc label two-fer compiles both of
Reuben Wilson's sessions for the Groove Merchant label. The first, 1972's
The Sweet Life, follows a series of sugary soul-jazz dates for Blue Note. The title notwithstanding, the session is his darkest and hardest-edged to date, complete with a physicality missing from previous efforts. Credit tenor saxophonist
Ramon Morris, trumpeter
Bill Hardman, guitarist
Lloyd Davis, bassist
Mickey Bass, and drummer
Thomas Derrick, whose skin-tight grooves sand away the polished contours of
Wilson's organ solos to reveal their diamond-sharp corners. The material, while predictable (i.e., standbys like "Inner City Blues" and "Never Can Say Goodbye"), is nevertheless well suited to the set's righteous funk sound. The 1974 follow-up,
The Cisco Kid, pairs
Wilson with a murderer's-row support unit including guitarist
Melvin Sparks, trombonist
Garnett Brown, bassist
Bob Cranshaw, drummer
Mickey Roker, and percussionist
Ray Armando. Given the talent involved, it's regrettable that the album adheres to such a pedestrian formula, reimagining the same pop and soul covers as virtually every other jazz-funk session issued at the time. Besides the title cut, a reworking of
War's Latin soul monster, the material includes readings of "Superfly," "The Look of Love," and "We've Only Just Begun" -- the energy and intensity nevertheless ratchet up several notches for the
Wilson originals "Snaps" and "Groove Grease," elevating the entire endeavor in the process.