That Lovin' Feeling
was originally released in 1966 on
Atlantic
subsidiary
Atco Records
and featured
King Curtis
playing saxello (a soprano saxophone, for all practical purposes) on a dozen 1960s
pop
hits. This isn't the hard-blowing and honking
Curtis
that most people will recall from his
Enjoy
sessions, but shows him in a jazzy MOR mode working with heavily orchestrated arrangements done by
Arif Mardin
. The end result is a restrained and refined album with a mellow, after-hours feel, and if
fails to really belt anything out, his tone is always appropriate (with just the hint of an edge) and his lead lines show his
jazz
roots and his ease with a
ballad
. The standout tracks are both
Jerry Leiber
and
Mike Stoller
songs, the beautiful and easy groove of
"Spanish Harlem"
and the light, rhythmic
funk
of
"On Broadway."
is in full lyrical mode on these cuts, playing within the arrangements, and if this style is not the one most people expect from him, it is revealing to realize how versatile he was as a horn man (one of the reasons he was so in demand as a session player). Fans of
' more familiar hard
R&B
sax sound may want to skip this release, but listeners who want a full and rounded portrait of this wonderful musician's range should definitely give
a try. ~ Steve Leggett