Grant Green – His Majesty King Funk (2xLP, Acoustic Sounds Series, Verve)

Grant Green's His Majesty King Funk captures the guitarist at a revealing turning point in 1965, when he briefly stepped away from Blue Note for his only album as a leader on Verve. Produced by Creed Taylor, it brings together Green with organist Larry Young, tenor saxophonist Harold Vick, drummer Ben Dixon and conguero Candido Camero, a lineup that gives the record its easy blend of hard bop sharpness, blues feeling and deep soul-jazz groove.

What makes the album especially compelling is how clearly it shows Green's range without losing focus. His topical original “The Selma March” places the music in its moment, while “Willow Weep for Me” opens out into a spacious, unhurried performance and “That Lucky Old Sun” is handled with warmth rather than sentimentality. Throughout, Green's melodic clarity stays at the centre, with Larry Young's harmonically rich organ providing a perfect counterweight.

His Majesty King Funk also marks the last of Green's recorded collaborations with Young, which gives the session extra weight within his catalogue. If you know Green from his earlier Blue Note work or his later funkier records, this set sits beautifully between those poles: relaxed, rhythmically strong and full of ensemble interplay rather than flash for its own sake.

Features

• 180g, Verve Acoustic Sounds Series
• Mastered from the original analog tapes by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab
• Pressed at Quality Record Pressings
• Stoughton tip-on gatefold jacket
• Limited Edition