Based in New Jersey, guitarist Ivan Boogaloo Joe Jones was one of the earliest of a new group of soulful players signed to Prestige in the late 1960s. Along with Houston Person and Charles Earland, they signposted the way for a funky blues-drenched jazz that would dominate the label’s releases over the following four or five years. Jones’ first record was released in early 1968. Its title, Introducing The Psychedelic Soul Jazz Guitar Of Joe Jones, was an attempt to cash in on current musical trends, but the record featured very good soul jazz, a formula repeated on his second album.
His next five LPs fitted into the funky soul jazz template proffered by the label, with Jones alternating languid comping with quick-fire improvisation. These albums are all sought-after collectors’ pieces. The title track of his final Prestige set, ‘Black Whip’, is his most in-demand number in the UK where it became a jazz dance classic. By Dean Rudland
01 The Mindbender
00:00
02 There Is A Mountain
05:00
03 Games
10:41
04 Sticks And Stones
15:10
05 Blues For Bruce
20:19
06 The Beat Goes On
26:15
07 Right Now
29:40
08 Call Me
33:10
09 Light My Fire
39:15
10 For Big Hal
43:15
11 St James Infirmary
50:22
12 Take All
55:48
13 Time After Time
59:40
14 Ivan The Terrible 6
7:10
Limerick Knowles Jr. (organ) Joe Jones (guitar) Alexander Witherspoon (electric bass) Bud Kelly (drums)
Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, March 15, 1967
Joe Jones (guitar) Ron Carter (bass) Ben Dixon (drums) Richie "Pablo" Landrum (congas)
Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, December 12, 1967
Release Date 1968