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 (Welcome back, Idris Muhammed! 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.
November 10, 2020
Side A
Superstition
Give Me Your Love
Keeper Of The Castle
Side B
Trouble Man
The Price A Po’ Man’s Got To Pay
Where I’m Coming From
Alto Saxophone – Sonny Fortune
Arranged By – Ed Bogas
Art Direction – Tony Lane (2)
Bass – George Duvivier
Congas – Buddy Caldwell
Drums – Grady Tate, Idris Muhammad
Electric Piano – Ernie Hayes
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Flute – Hubert Laws
Flute, Baritone Saxophone, Conductor – Frank Wess
Flute, Tenor Saxophone – Seldon Powell
Guitar – Joe Beck, Melvin Sparks
Lacquer Cut By – KPG*
Organ – Leon Spencer, Jr.
Photography By – Lee Friedlander
Producer – Ozzie Cadena
Tenor Saxophone – Dave Hubbard
Trumpet – Jon Faddis, Victor Paz, Virgil Jones