Whether or not you’re a fan of the productions Creed Taylor made in the 1970s, he deserves much credit for preserving – and extending – the careers of a number of accomplished jazz musicians who might otherwise have disappeared without trace – on record, at least – after rock nearly demolished the scene. And before the really commercialised, strings-laden sessions took over, there was a period at the end of the 1960s and start of the 70s when people such as Hubbard and Turrentine were still firing on all cylinders and refusing to be put off by the constant Rhodes syndrome and funky percussion. Stanley the steamer is at his very best – wonderfully warm, wailing and basking in the blues – on almost this entire album. The title track is an absolute gem, though an alternate take from another session with Billy Cobham replacing Idris Muhammad on drums, taken at a faster tempo, lacks the same magic. The original vinyl release contained just four titles, reinforced here by four bonus tracks from other sessions with varying personnels. In retrospect, Bob James was a much better pianist than was thought at the time and most of his scores left plenty of scope for Turrentine to take off and fly really high. Eric Gale’s excellent guitar work, Idris’ rock solid drumming and Johnny Hammond’s soulful organ all stand out. A really spirited album which still sounds extremely soulful.