John Handy Hard Work 1976

John Handy had a long and successful career in jazz beginning in the late 50s. He played with Charles Mingus on at least five albums between 1959 and 1964 while also recording as a leader. He continued as a leader, recording his own bands until 1996, and appeared on some twenty-five different albums, mostly under his own name. His early work was mainstream/post-bop jazz that was generally highly listenable yet still challenging. He also worked with Indian musicians as an early Indian music/jazz hybrid pioneer in the 70s and 80s. 

This one is a mix of jazz, R&B, blues, and funk, and became a surprise jazz and crossover hit for Handy, reaching #4 on the Billboard jazz chart and #43 on the Hot 100. The title track kicks things off in high style, a funky jam with great sax and guitar solos. Blues For Louis Jordan is one of three vocal tracks, and Handy is a good vocalist, and he also throws down a hot sax break. Young Enough To Dream is a delight that features sax, keyboard, guitar and percussion. 

The sunny So-Cal jazz of Love For Brother Jack opens side two, and features Handy's sax again. Didn't I Tell You is a funky blues/jazz featuring hot keys and sax, and another solid vocal performance. The fast, driving funk blues of Afro Wiggle features Mike Hoffman's guitar to fine effect. You Don't Know ends the set with another vocal and includes funky keys and guitar. 

Handy wrote all of the songs. The band is stellar with Hotep Cecil Barnard keyboards, Mike Hoffmann guitar, Chuck Rainey electric bass, James Gadson drums, Eddie "Bongo" Brown congas and percussion, Zakir Hussain tabla (on three tracks), and Handy's tenor and alto saxes and vocals. 

I hadn't listened to it in a very long time until recently, and I'm glad I got back to it. A super saxophonist plays funky jazz with a stellar band and solid tunes, and everyone contributes to make a great record. A great find in a used record store, and of course digital and streaming availability too.