One of the many compilations issued in the wake of
James Brown's passing in 2007 is this rather strange and necessary one produced by Alan Leeds and Harry Weinger. There's no irony in the title, and it's only a little misleading.
Brown loved all kinds of music throughout his lifetime and made no secret of it. This set compiles 12 cuts, all of which
Brown originally produced, that accent the jazzier -- and sometimes near all-out jazz (though everything on this baby has more than a little soul grit mixed in) -- side of
the Godfather. The coolest thing about this set is that it contains numerous unreleased alternate mixes, extended versions, single edits, and literally unreleased versions and tunes that span from standards and soul-jazz cuts to '70s-era pop tunes. Ranging from 1964's reading of the Adderley Brothers' "Tengo Tango" (never before issued in any form) to a 1970s alternate mix of "For Once in My Life," this is perhaps among the most ambitious of
Brown recordings to be released in quite some time. Released gems here include
Brown on a killer B-3 take of
Jimmy McGriff's "All About My Girl" in 1966 and his version of
Joe Zawinul's "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)" from 1967. In between, there are hip mixes of standards like "Cottage for Sale" and "That's My Desire." The sequencing here is not stale either, since it's not chronological. In fact, since it bookends in the year 1970, with the 1960s material sandwiched between, it's rather wonderful aesthetically. Recommended. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi
