The very definition of ‘70s soulful jazz, Where I’m Coming From has all the hallmarks of Prestige Records at its finest, with an all-star cast of sidemen (The legendary Idris Muhammad! Hello to Madlib’s uncle, Jon Faddis! Greetings to the funky flute of Hubert Laws!) recorded at Van Gelder’s studio and packed with down and dirty grooves top to bottom. From the opening cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” through to the low-slung original headnodder “Where I’m Coming From,” with stops along the way for dips into the catalogs of Curtis Mayfield (“Give Me Your Love”), Marvin Gaye (“Trouble Man”) and the Four Tops (“Keeper Of The Castle”), Leon Spencer’s rippling organ lines sear this prime example of groove jazz.

Artists

Leon Spencer (organ), Victor Paz (trumpet), Jon Faddis (trumpet), Frank Wess (flute, baritonesaxophone), Seldon Powell (flute, tenorsaxophone), Joe Beck (guitar), Ernest Hayes (piano), George Duvivier (bassguitar), Grady Tate (drumkit), Virgil Jones (trumpet), Hubert Laws (flute), Sonny Fortune (altosaxophone), Dave Hubbard (tenorsaxophone), Melvin Sparks (guitar), Idris Muhammad (drumkit), Buddy Caldwell (congas)