Black Talk

Houston Person (tenor sax), Virgil Jones (trumpet), Melvin Sparks (electric guitar), Charles Earland (organ) and Idris Muhammad (drums). From the album Black Talk! (1970) by Charles Earland.

Charles Earland was an American organist who had his best moments in the late 1960s, gathering numerous fans as a result of his success with several albums released by Prestige Records. Although influenced by Jimmy Smith, he had his own particular swing style and a prodigious technique, both on the keyboard and on bass pedaling. Born in Philadelphia, his father played alto saxophone and he played baritone while in high school in a group that included tenor saxophonist Lew Tabackin, trumpeter Frankie Avalonel and great guitarist Pat Martino. Later he became part of the Temple University band in his city and toured with organist Jimmy McGriff’s group playing tenor saxophone. During the three years he spent with him, he was fascinated by how he interpreted the Hammond B-3 and during breaks he learned to play this instrument.

In 1960 Earland founded a trio consisting of himself on organ, Martino on guitar and Bobby Durham on drums. In 1966 he joined the Choice label and in 1969 published his first two albums Boss Organ with guitarist Jimmy Ponder and Durham, and Soul Crib in which the experienced tenor saxophonist George Coleman participated. During 1968 and 1969 belonged to veteran alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson’s band, with which he recorded Say It Loud! (1968), whose title comes from James Brown’s motto “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud”; and Hot Dog (1969) with funky soul jazz and rhythm and blues songs covers. Then he signed with Prestige Records and launched Black Talk! (1969), which was a classic soul jazz bestseller in which the participant sextet turns rock and pop tunes into creative jazz. The version of “More Today Than Yesterday” by progressive rock band Spiral Starecase was aired widely in the radio.

Afterwards he released more albums for Prestige: Black Drops (1970), in which he played with musicians from Philadelphia; Living Black! (1971), which features a performance at the New Yersey Key Club in 1970 in which Earland was especially inspired, and in which Grover Washington, Jr., future famous smooth jazz saxophonist, appears; Soul Story (1971) with a wind section; and Intensity (1972), in which the acclaimed trumpeter Lee Morgan collaborated, being the last work he did, as he was murdered by his girlfriend with a gunshot two days later.