Baby Face Willette - Stop And Listen [Blue Note 180g Vinyl]

Hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas, Hammond B3 organist Baby Face Willette made a striking entrance into the Blue Note catalog, appearing on three consecutive sessions in January 1961 before cutting his own debut, Face To Face. He returned to Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs just four months later, on May 22, 1961, for Stop And Listen, his second and final Blue Note leader date. The trio format, with Grant Green on guitar and Ben Dixon on drums, keeps the focus squarely on Willette's organ playing, and the result is one of the most satisfying bluesy, soul jazz sessions in the label's catalog.

Four Willette originals anchor the record alongside three outside compositions. "Willow Weep For Me" opens Side A with a loping, blues-soaked groove that sets the album's mood immediately. The title track "Stop And Listen" is among Willette's strongest originals, while his reading of Nat Adderley's "Worksong" brings a hard-swinging urgency that draws out some of Green's most focused guitar work on the date. The inclusion of "At Last," then riding high on the charts through Etta James' recording, gave the session an unexpected contemporary touch.

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series pressing is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on audiophile 180-gram vinyl at Optimal. The stereo mix is open and warm, with Willette's Hammond B3 given the full, resonant presence the instrument deserves.

• Format: 180g Black Vinyl LP
• Standout Tracks: "Willow Weep For Me," "Stop And Listen," "Worksong"
• Pressing Details: Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series, All-Analog Mastered by Kevin Gray from the Original Master Tapes, Pressed at Optimal, Germany, Stereo
• Genre/Style: Soul Jazz, Hard Bop, Bluesy Organ Jazz, Blues Jazz, Post-Bop
• UPC: 602465149753

Stop And Listen is a gem that deserves far wider recognition, a tight, deeply swinging organ trio date that captures Willette, Green, and Dixon operating at the peak of their chemistry together.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. Willow Weep For Me
2. Chances Are Few
3. Jumpin' Jupiter

Side B:

1. Stop And Listen
2. At Last
3. Soul Walk
4. Worksong