Blue Note, 1966

Blue Note’s roster of Hammond B3 organists was a vibrant and varied bunch that ran the stylistic gamut from Jimmy Smith’s virtuosic innovations to Larry Young’s horizon-expanding explorations. Kansas City-born dynamo Big John Patton operated in a soul-jazz sweet spot throughout his stellar 1960s Blue Note tenure always making sure each of his platters was served with a healthy helping of soul. Patton first appeared as a sideman on Lou Donaldson’s albums The Natural Soul and Good Gracious and later cut his own Blue Note leader debut with 1963’s Along Came John. Perhaps the most unique—and certainly one of the finest—albums in his discography is Let ‘Em Roll, a fantastic 1965 session that found Patton altering the standard organ trio line-up of guitar (Grant Green) and drums (Otis Finch) by adding vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson into the mix (Green had used this same instrumentation to great effect on his album Street of Dreams the year prior). Highlights of the set include the Patton originals “Let ‘Em Roll” and “Latona,” a tender performance of the Johnny Mandel ballad “The Shadow of Your Smile,” and a spirited romp through Hank Mobley’s “The Turnaround.”