Various Artists - Jazz Dispensary: Super Skunk

Various Artists - Jazz Dispensary: Super Skunk

Jazz Dispensary returns with a groovy new compilation that zigzags in the sonic space between the hard bop saxophone extravaganza of Cannonball Adderley and Houston Person, to the rhythmic meditations of Woody Herman and The Bar-Kays. Lacquers cut by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl and pressed on Opaque Red vinyl with artwork by GRAMMY-winning designer Masaki Koike.

Side A opens with Gary Bartz’s supremely funky “Make Me Feel Better,” a cut off the saxophonist and singer’s 1973 Mizell Brothers produced LP, The Shadow Do! Cannonball Adderley continues the vibe with 1974’s “Pyramid,” while the Bar-Kays luxuriate in a 1978 cover of Traffic’s “Feelin’ Alright.” Closing out the first side is “The Houston Express,” a 1971 soul-jazz delicacy from Houston Person, followed by Art Jerry Miller’s chilled-out instrumental, “Finger Lickin’ Good.”

Philadelphia fusion pioneers Catalyst pick up the pace on Side B with “Ain’t It the Truth,” an upbeat selection from their 1970 self-titled debut, while Woody Herman delivers a fantastic cover of Herbie Hancock’s “Fat Mama.” The set continues with “Las Cuatro Culturas” by Mexico’s Rabbits & Carrots. The high-energy instrumental is culled from the group’s 1970 LP, Soul Latino, a sought-after rarity among funk fanatics and crate diggers. The album closes with the hard-grooving “You’ve Got to Do Your Best,” from the Pazant Brothers & the Beaufort Express’s 1975 LP, Loose and Juicy.

Limited to 5,800 units worldwide, Super Skunk is pressed on eye-catching opaque red vinyl and housed in a jacket designed by the GRAMM-winning art director, Masaki Koike, with original illustrations by Humberto Howard.