LEON THOMAS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: First released back in 1973, Flying Dutchman aver their grand standing on the parapet that is the New York jazz scene with a timely new reissue of Leon Thomas' 'Just In Time To See The Sun', which now appears with a different B-side counterpart. Shaker-uppers, these sonic sailers are! Where As 'Just In Time...' itself first surfaced as the B-side to a stirring album cut 'Never Let Me Go' - which also graced the pimpin' Tennessee blues-jazz musician's later record Full Circle - it now comes paired with the pentatonic skiffle 'China Doll'. FD's new curative duopoly on Thomas' bellowing sound flaunts the singer and musician's deep range, contrasting the styptic funk explosions of the titular Santana cover on the A with the shaker-laden Orientalist groove on the B.

Review: BGP's 33rpm 7" release features two sought-after cuts by Leon Thomas, both full-length versions that have become favorites among DJs. From his 1973 Flying Dutchman LP Full Circle, 'It's My Life I'm Fighting For' is a standout track featuring top New York session players like Pee Wee Ellis, Joe Farrell and Neal Creque. Clocking in at ten minutes, it's a funky jazz classic with an apocalyptic feel. The second track, 'Shape Your Mind To Die,' is a dramatic five-minute piece also penned by Thomas and Creque. Originally appearing on Thomas' Blues And The Soulful Truth album in 1972, this track is fueled by Pee Wee Ellis' amazing soprano saxophone.

Review: Originally released on Flying Dutchman in 1973, Leon Thomas' Blues and the Soulful Truth is an outstanding slice of soul funk from one of the genre's all time greats. Thomas came to fame working with Pharoah Sanders on 'The Creator Has A Master Plan', but on this album he was in full flight writing his own songs, backed up by Pee Wee Ellis as a conductor and with Bob Thiele as producer. Thomas had an unflinching approach to his message, best heard on incredible cuts like 'Shape Your Mind To Die', but there's tenderness to match the toughness. Just listen to the sweetness of 'China Doll' on this long overdue reissue and take in the full spectrum of the Leon Thomas sound.

Review: 'The Creator Has a Masterplan (Peace)' might have been performed beautifully by Louis Armstrong but it was written by Pharoah Sanders and Leon Thomas. Sanders was the first to record and release it on February 14, 1969 and it has since been covered by the likes of Don Cherry, Krokodil, The Dynamics, Lord Echo and many more artists right up to the present day. Here we get the Leon Thomas versions from 1969 as well as the one he recorded alongside Louis a year later. Two sublime sounds that make the whole world feel at peace.