Meet the Beatles<\/em> notwithstanding, thank goodness), violins, and…jazz. As such, I missed out on a whole wide swath of musical styles in those formative years.<\/p>\nOne instrument I don’t think I ever heard was the vibraphone; no Lionel Hampton<\/strong> records in Mom and Dad’s LP collection. So put all that together and you might understand why I never heard of \u2013 much less actually heard \u2013 a pair of albums from acclaimed vibraphonist Johnny Lytle<\/strong>, The Soulful Rebel<\/em> (1971) and People & Love<\/em> (1972). I’ve said it before: thank goodness for the fine folks at Real Gone Music for turning me (and others) on to some too-good-to-miss music from years ago.<\/p>\nEmploying a funky, soulful jazz style that puts equal emphasis on melody, hooks and groove, Lytle and his session players tear through a groovy assortment of originals and familiar classic\/standard tunes on these two albums, now combined onto a single CD for this 2013 release. On \u201cThe New Village Caller,\u201d Lytle gives his vibes a vaguely Caribbean flavor, playing at breakneck speed while the band chugs along, right in the pocket. Ron Carter<\/strong>‘s bass is especially effective, and David Spinnozza<\/strong>‘s clean, lightning guitar runs spar with Lytle’s vibe work. Ray Barrett<\/strong>‘s congas add to the solid percussion work from Jozell Carter<\/strong>. A four-track piece called \u201cThe Soulful Rebel Suite\u201d is the centerpiece of the ’71 album, and in addition to giving all the players ample time to shine (especially Billy Nunn<\/strong> on organ), the tracks evokes a sort of Santana<\/strong>-with-vibes proto-world music feel, all while remaining accessible. A cover of Chicago<\/strong>‘s \u201cDoes Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?\u201d is the only instance in which Lytle and band veer perilously close to easy listening. With loads of sparkling vibraphone work, it’s a treat for anyone who likes mainstream 70s instrumental music. The Soulful Rebel<\/em> happily strays far outside a jazz bag.<\/p>\nOn People & Love<\/em>, Lytle again uses Carter on drums, but the other \u201cname\u201d players are absent. Yet the musicians on this album turn in tasteful performances, too. Where on The Soulful Rebel<\/em> Lytle wrapped up the disc with a pop cover, on People & Love<\/em> he opens with one: \u201cWhere is the Love.\u201d Again heading for easy listening territory, it’s the weakest (and, perversely, most commercial) thing on the record. Lytle’s vibe solo lifts it up, though, so it’s not a total loss by any means. Betty Glamann<\/strong>‘s harp (a real<\/em> harp, not a blues harp) adds to the MOR flavor of the ’72 album. Even though it has a great hook in its chorus, \u201cPeople Make the World Go Round\u201d overstays its welcome a bit, due in part to a surprisingly dull drum solo. But the funk does make a return on \u201cTawhid,\u201d easily the highlight of the 1972 release. Overall, People & Love<\/em> is a more subdued affair than its predecessor.<\/p>\nTogether, The Soulful Rebel<\/em> and People & Love<\/em> show a balanced portrait of Lytle’s talents; he’s equally adept at the more commercial stuff as with the funkier styles, and the two records \u2013 both tastefully produced by jazz studio legend Orrin Keepnews<\/strong> \u2013 balance each other nicely. Originally issued on the Milestone label, these two records have never been reissued until now. Vintage vinyl copies of The Soulful Rebel<\/em> start at $50 if you can even find them, and People & Love<\/em> goes for twice that. Get and enjoy the RGM release.<\/p>\nFollow \u201cthe_musoscribe\u201d on ![\"\"](\"http:\/\/musoscribe.com\/images\/icon_twitter_small.jpg\")
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