In 1968, soul jazz was still serving up plenty of high-energy fare. Its devoted followers showed no signs of losing their appetite, continuing to gorge themselves on hot dogs, feast on hot barbecue, and devour other helpings of junk food, preferably with a little extra spice. Such dishes frequently found their way into the titles of albums associated, more or less loosely, with the genre, suggesting a certain kinship between the feeling generated by those sizzling jams and the satisfaction of indulging in such hearty fare. The world outside, of course, was heating up too, with one upheaval following another, but little changed in the soul jazz kitchen. A sprinkling of hits from the British beat boom was enough to freshen up the repertoire, while the essential recipe remained untouched, particularly the one built around the Hammond organ, as perfected by Jimmy Smith and a host of followers, fellow cooks […]
