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Telmo Fernandez / Phil Wilkinson / Caspar St Charles: The Soul Jazz Beat Vol. 2

By Bruce Lindsay
July 20, 2016
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Telmo Fernandez / Phil Wilkinson / Caspar St Charles: The Soul Jazz Beat Vol. 2

The Telmo Fern��ndez Organ Trio has already been on the soul jazz beat—as the title of The Soul Jazz Beat Vol. 2 makes clear. The Soul Jazz Beat Vol. 1 (Free Code Jazz Records, 2015) was delightful, Vol. 2 carries on in the same vein, this time giving each individual musician a name credit.

For this album, recorded in Barcelona in December 2015, guitarist Fern��ndez and Hammond organist

Phil Wilkinson

organ, Hammond B3
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Phil Wilkinson are joined by a new drummer. Caspar St Charles takes over from Jose Luis G��mez and brings a looser, more subtle, approach to the music. More importantly, he fits into the trio just as well as his predecessor—for music like this, where the groove is key, that's crucial.

As to the music itself, it's the same mix of originals and classic tunes that graced The Soul Jazz Beat Vol. 1. Fern��ndez and Wilkinson contribute two tunes each: covers range from

Jack McDuff

organ, Hammond B3
1926 - 2001

" data-original-title="" title="">Jack McDuff's "I Can't Get Satisfied" to

Richard "Groove" Holmes

organ, Hammond B3
1931 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Richard "Groove" Holmes' "Onsaya Joy" and

Stevie Wonder

vocals
b.1950

" data-original-title="" title="">Stevie Wonder's "Uptight."

The trio's mood is relaxed but positive, a seemingly effortless swing from all three players that brings a tap to the feet and a smile to the face pretty much straight away. "I Can't Get Satisfied" features a laid back but cheery (uncredited) vocal, but the album's accent is firmly on instrumentals.

Roy Brooks

drums
b.1938

" data-original-title="" title="">Roy Brooks' "The Free Slave" showcases the trio at its most restrained—not quite ballad-pace but a slower-than-average tempo, still wedded to an irresistible groove. Fern��ndez' funky "Chicken Fingers," the cool flow of Wilkinson's "3 Pesos" and

Leon Spencer

organ, Hammond B3
1945 - 2012

" data-original-title="" title="">Leon Spencer's "The Scorpion" demonstrate the trio's tight, sympatico, style.

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Track Listing

I Can��t Get Satisfied; Chicken Fingers; Onsaya Joy; The Free Slave; Son Of Ice Bag; Pot Pie; 3 Pesos; The Scorpion; Uptight; Vagabond Blues.

Personnel

Telmo Fernandez

guitar

Telmo Fern��ndez: guitar; Phil Wilkinson: Hammond organ; Caspar St Charles: drums.

Album information

Title: The Soul Jazz Beat Vol. 2 | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: Sweet Records

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