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This is quentessential Larry Young. He does not, like Smith, care about melody. It was not that Young was better or worse than Jimmy Smith. But where Smith strived for melodic blues cheer, Young went through the modal tunnel.With Elvin Jones on drums, Young has a big chunk of canvas to paint his spare strokes. He wants to insert rhytmic and harmonic slivers into the huge cusion the rhythm section inflates.This is not free jazz, but it is informed by it. When Smith was the king of the Hammond, Young moved to the more modern to rule.
Oh yah, don't really know why he's known as the Jimmy Hendrix of the Hammond-B. What a perfect recording I must add.
Didn't know anything about who he was or what he played, but when I saw this album I thought it would be a great addition to my widespread music collection. Man.
Larry Young must have been a name that got placed somewhere in my sub-conscience as a kid, 'cause I've no clue how I came up with it when I was randomly searching for some straight ahead jazz. This guy was a master that knows the meaning of "less is more".
was I right. It definitely makes for an enjoyable listening experience no matter what your taste, and if you already know you like good jazz organ, look no further.
Only hope that I got it on vinyl- rare to find. but its cool nevertheless.
One thing noted, if you can, avoid the RVG re-issue and try and get the original issue on CD or an import. Along with other progressive musicians such as Joe Henderson on tenor, Woody Shaw on trumpet and Elvin Jones on drums, "Unity" leaps out of the standard blues progressions into the modal vein with tunes such as Shaw's "Zoltan" and "The Moontrane" plus a smok'ng Henderson solo on "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" to make this album a classic of its type. If you're tired of the usual organ-sax-guitar combo, then the classic "Unity" by the Coltrane of the organ, Larry Young, fits the bill. Fortunately a friend laid a Japanese copy (24 bit) on me and it was far superior than the Van Gelder re-issue in terms of sound imagery and separation which is practically non-existent on the U.S. Young would go further into the avant garde with his later albums such as "Of Love and Peace", "Mother Ship" but this classic was the one that pointed the way. I've listened to this album as far as back as the '60s when it was issued, I believe in '66 and have never grown tired of it. copy. The later RVG releases are far better sonically than "Unity" or "Out to Lunch" such as "Song for My Father", "Adam's Apple", "JuJu" ,"Inner Urge" and "Maiden Voyage".
Of course, when you are pounding and moving the notes like Young does, the listener can be forgiven for focusing on the music and not on the sound, but if one takes a moment to hear it, the production is really excellent and original. As a former church organist converted to jazz piano over a thirty year period, I didn't think there was anything that could get me interested in the organ again, but I was wrong. The organ of Larry Young in Unity has a bold, crisp sound that is hard to get without a lot of old equipment, like the church organ speaker my band and I used to carry to gigs to get the leslie sound. There's a serious shortage of great jazz organ recordings, but this is the one they will all be judged by, so go ahead and add this to your collection to see how high the bar is set. This is a wonderful recording.
This was truly a date for the ages; it sounds just as fresh today as it did when released over 40 years ago. This date from 1965, really showcased his advanced harmonic and melodic style.
While I applaud those who appreciate his artistry, I believe that this description does not really do him justice. Larry Young has been referred to as the "Coltrane of the B-3 organ".
Larry Young, on the other hand, had a totally different conception. During the era that this recording was made, jazz organ on Blue Note was dominated by Jimmy Smith, whose success helped keep Blue Note afloat financially.
Jimmy played in a blues and boppish style. Additionally, the supporting cast was truly world class; Woody Shaw on trumpet (one of his first dates), Joe Henderson, and the legendary Elvin Jones.
This recording should be in everyone's basic jazz library.
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