Although its headliner remains little-known, saxophonist
Fats Theus'
Black Out boasts a most impressive pedigree -- one of the first releases on producer
Creed Taylor's fledgling CTI imprint, its supporting cast includes soul-jazz demigods
Grant Green on guitar,
Chuck Rainey on bass, and
Idris Muhammad on drums. The level of musicianship across the record's six tracks is absurdly high -- if anything,
Theus is the weak link in the chain, with bop-oriented solos that occasionally lean toward woodenness in comparison with the sublime funkiness of his collaborators.
Taylor's production is nevertheless inventive -- the opening cut "Bed of Nails" even features a musical saw -- and unlike some of his other CTI efforts,
Black Out avoids smooth jazz trappings in favor of raw, down-and-dirty grooves.