''The Greatest Little Soul Band in the Land'' is J.J. Jackson's third album. The album was released in 1969 on the

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

label, which had been relaunched that year by MCA as a subsidiary of

Uni Records Uni Records (short for the label's legal name Universal City Records and rendered as UNI) was a record label owned by MCA Inc. The brand, which long featured a distinctive UNi logo, was established in 1966 in music, 1966 by MCA executive Ned Tanen ...

. The single released from the album was "Fat, Black and Together", which was co-written by Jackson and

Al Stewart Alastair Ian Stewart (born 5 September 1945) is a Scottish born singer-songwriter and folk-rock musician who rose to prominence as part of the British folk revival in the 1960s and 1970s. He developed a unique style of combining folk-rock so ...

. One reviewer described the single as" a truly heavyweight funk jam that is the highlight of this gritty, soulful LP".Jason Ankeny
Review of ''The Greatest Little Soul Band in the Land''

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

. Retrieved 2017-10-31. The album is notable as featuring some of the same British musicians who had backed Jackson on his 1966 hit, "

But It's Alright "But It's Alright" (aka "It's Alright", due to its lyrics) is a song co-written by J. J. Jackson (singer), J. J. Jackson and Pierre Tubbs that became a hit on the pop and soul charts in both 1966 and 1969. Theme The song's lyrics address the sing ...

", including

Dick Morrissey Richard Edwin Morrissey (9 May 1940 – 8 November 2000) was a British jazz musician and composer. He played the tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone and flute. Biography Background He was born in Horley, Surrey, England. Dick Morrissey emerg ...

and Terry Smith, and was recorded contemporaneous to Jackson becoming a permanent resident of England. In the

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner notes are desce ...

, the album is described as being Jackson's attempt to fuse

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It has its roots in African-American gospel music and rhythm and blues. Soul music became po ...

and

jazz music Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major f ...

, with the album being critically described as one where Jackson "achieves a sound recalling

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

' most deeply funky outings, complete with big band-inspired horn arrangements". The centerpiece of the album is considered to be "Jackson's raw, impassioned vocals". Another described the album as containing "tons of horns and great singing here, plus 60's progressive moves, such as weaving walking bass interludes into the tracks. There is no filler on here." The album is also notable for containing "Tenement Halls', a song co-written by Scott Fagan, a psych-folk artist rediscovered in the 2000s.Jim Farber
Scott Fagan's long strange trip, with detours
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', November 25, 2015. Retrieved 2017-11-06.

Track listing

Tobacco Road Tobacco Road may refer to: Prose * ''Tobacco Road'' (novel) (1932), by Erskine Caldwell ** ''Tobacco Road'' (play) (1933), by Jack Kirkland ** ''Tobacco Road'' (film) (1941), directed by John Ford Music * "Tobacco Road" (song) (1960s), by John D. ...

" (

John D. Loudermilk John Dee Loudermilk Jr. (March 31, 1934 – September 21, 2016) was an American singer and songwriter. Although he had his own recording career during the 1950s and 1960s, he was primarily known as a songwriter. His best-known songs include "I ...

) #"Tenement Halls" (Scott Fagan–Joseph M. Kookoolis) #"Something for My People" (Jackson) #"In the Same Old Way" (Jackson,

Barnes Barnes may refer to: People * Barnes (name), a family name and a given name (includes lists of people with that name) Places United Kingdom *Barnes, London, England **Barnes railway station ** Barnes Bridge railway station ** Barnes Railway Bri ...

) #" A Change Is Gonna Come" (

Sam Cooke Samuel Cook (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964), known professionally as Sam Cooke, was an American singer and songwriter. Considered to be a pioneer and one of the most influential soul artists of all time, Cooke is commonly referred ...

) #"Fat, Black and Together" (Jackson, Stewart) #"Win Lose Or Draw" ( Ousley)Written by saxophonist

Harold Ousley Harold Lomax Ousley (January 23, 1929 – August 13, 2015) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and flautist. Background Born in Chicago, Ousley began playing in the late-1940s and 1950s. He accompanied Billie Holiday and recorded with Dinah ...

, with whom Jackson had worked, during their time contributing to the music of

Brother Jack McDuff Eugene McDuff (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era ...

. #"That's Woman Loving Her Man" (Jackson, Barnes)

Personnel

* J.J. Jackson - vocals, piano, percussion and arrangements *

- tenor saxophone * Stu Hamer - trumpet * Terry Smith - guitar
Larry Steele
- bass *

Ronnie Stephenson Ronnie Stephenson (26 January 1937 – 8 August 2002) was an English jazz drummer. He was one of the most in-demand drummers on the British jazz scene in the 1960s. Biography Stephenson was born in Sunderland. As a boy, he wanted to become a ...

- drums
Jeff Whittaker
- conga *

John Stanley Marshall John Stanley Marshall (born 28 August 1941) is an English drummer and founding member of the jazz rock band Nucleus. From 1972 to 1978, he was the drummer for Soft Machine, replacing Phil Howard when he joined. Marshall was born in Isleworth, ...

- drums * Rico Rodriguez - trombone
Roy Edwards
- trumpet *

Bill Eyden William James "Bill" Eyden (4 May 1930, Hounslow, Middlesex – 15 October 2004, Isleworth, Middlesex) was an English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peop ...

- drums * Brian Henderson - organ, keyboards *

Terry Jenkins Terry Jenkins (born 26 September 1963) is an English former professional darts player who was nicknamed The Bull, having previously used the name "Tucker" for his matches. He reached number three in the world rankings and was a runner-up in nin ...

- drums

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greatest Little Soul Band in the Land, The 1969 debut albums J. J. Jackson (singer) albums