Blues and the Soulful Truth

Leon Thomas: L-O-V-E and Let's Go Down To Lucy
From: Blues and the Soulful Truth [Flying Dutchman, 1972]

So, the World Cup is dead to me now but is this going to dampen my spirits? Well, yeah to be honest, but the summer rolls on and it is damn hot here right now (thanks for skipping on air con guys). With that thought in mind it seemed appropriate to liven up the mood and introduce some ooomph into the week with some rocking funkalacious sounds that are always guaranteed to cheer me up.

Leon Thomas is rightly regarded as a true innovator of jazz and a vocal trendsetter. Famed for his unique singing style which flitted between soulful tones and the occasional yodel he worked with many of the greats of the sixties and seventies and even had a crossover hit with Pharoah Sanders when he lent his vocals to The Creator Has a Master Plan in 1969.

All this may lead you to believe that what I am offering up for you today is some deep and intense inward looking fusion. But wait! You couldn't be further from the truth as Leon knew how to funk out with the best of them when it took his fancy and while Blues And The Soulful Truth has many beautiful introspective moments I'll concentrate today on his uplifting music of the highest order.

L-O-V-E starts as it means to continue as Leon waffles entertaining but basically meaningless shit to the lady of his attention as a finger-clicking, head-nodding, foot-tapping, funk riff builds underneath. Check out the excellent backing vocals on this, as the track fuses funk and sixties r&b to brilliant effect. I love the insane horn solo halfway through as well. Pure fun(k).

Let's Go Down To Lucy continues in the same vein with Leon again favouring the funk as he stretches his vocal chords and reveals himself to be much more than just a free jazz singer, his voice of tool of immense power and feeling interspersed with infectious ad libs to all the pretty girls. This is bassy, poppy summertime funk and it's perfect for those post tournament blues........