Messrs Baker, Bruce, Bond and Heckstall-Smith

 

 NOTE/UPDATE 01/05/15 – Thanks go out to Nick Rossi for hepping me to the fact that the version of ‘Wade In the Water’ released in the US by the GBO was recorded just after Jack Bruce had departed the group (Jan ’66) for greener musical pastures. The version of the group featured on this 45 includes Graham Bond (covering the bass with his left hand) , Ginger Baker, Dick Heckstall-Smith, and new member Mike Falana on trumpet. Nick  also pointed me in the direction of this excellent Graham Bond discography.

Greetings all.

I thought I’d start the new week with some hot and heavy Hammond action.

The Graham Bond Organization’s version of ‘Wade in the Water’ had been on my want list for years, and I only managed to score a copy a few months ago.

I’ll go ahead and assume that many of you are unfamiliar with Bond, one of the key figures of the 1960s UK R&B movement.

He got his start on saxophone (much like Charles Earland in the US) eventually moving onto the organ, which became his signature axe.

The Graham Bond Organization is not only worth knowing for the music they made during their relatively short time together, but because of those that made it. Joining Bond, and saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith were two youngsters who would go on to (much) bigger things, Jack Bruce on bass, and Ginger Baker on drums.

That rhythm section would have a tumultuous relationship from their earliest collaborations, on through Cream and that band’s reunion in the 2000s.

‘Wade In the Water’, the oft-covered spiritual was recorded by the Organization in 1964 and released in the US on the Ascot label in 1965.

Opening and closing with organ work by Bond that suggests a Hammer horror film as much as a sweaty R&B basement club, the tune soon swings into action, with stellar work by the whole band, but especially Bond and Baker, whose thunderous drumming is particularly well recorded.

The flip side is a slow, vocal reading of the blues standard ‘St James Infirmary’.

Withing a year and a half, Bruce and Baker would join Eric Clapton in Cream, and Bond continued a truncated version of the Organization and would eventually reappear in Ginger Baker’s Air Force, as well as making a few solo LPs before is suicide in 1974.

Fortunately for us all, he left a trail of hard-hitting wax in his wake.

I hope you dig the cut, and I’ll see you all on Wednesday.

 

Keep the faith

Larry

 

 

 

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Also, the brand new Funky16Corners ‘Keep Calm and Stay Funky’ stickers have arrived! The stickers are 4″ x 3″ and printed on high quality, glossy stock. They are $2.00 each, with free shipping in the US ($2.00 per order shipping outside of the US). Click here to go to the ordering page.

Also, make sure that you check out the links below to the Be The Match Foundation and POAC (click on the logos for more info).

 

PS Head over to Iron Leg too.