Gene Russell — Talk To My Lady

Officially licensed reissue courtesy of Real Gone Music and pressed by Gotta Groove Records on 150 gram vinyl.  Lacquers cut by Clint Holley and Dave Polster at the Well Made Music studios.

In between acting as producer on all of the Black Jazz label releases, keyboardist Gene Russell also cut two fine albums for the imprint.  Talk To My Lady is the second such album, released in 1973.

Judging by the quality of their respective solo outings for the label, the fact that Russell’s band includes bassist Henry Franklin and guitarist Calvin Keys bodes very well for the quality of this record.  Indeed, Talk to My Lady represents a sterling stylistic leap for Russell from his New Direction album, which was the first release issued on Black Jazz.  Here, he is leading an electric band instead of the basic piano trio format found on the former record, and playing a number of original, soul jazz compositions like ‘Get Down’ and the title tune.

As for the covers, both ‘Me and Mrs. Jones’ and ‘You Are the Sunshine of My Life’ are heartfelt renditions given a little extra bounce by Russell’s ivory tickling and Franklin’s expressive bass playing in particular, while the version of ‘My Favorite Things’ goes way out beyond what John Coltrane played on his original Atlantic studio version.