To say we are excited about this seven inch from Kansas City outfit Chris Hazelton’s Boogaloo 7 is an understatement. We reviewed their first single “The Chartreuse Woman” a while back and loved it. This next offering from the organ maestro picks right up where the last Sunflower Soul 45 left off. It’ doesn’t just pick up, it jumps up, and Hazelton’s command of the Hammond B3 is superb. He takes you on a funky ride, with the Boogaloo 7 in tow, horns, drums, and everything else on full blast. This type of organ jazz, call it soul jazz, call it jazz funk, is something that Hazelton and company are preserving to the very core. Gone are the days when you could catch Jimmy McGriff, Groove Holmes, John Patton, Shirley Scott, or Brother Jack McDuff on the Chitlin circuit at the same time and hear the greatest sidemen (who were experts in their own right) slang this kind of music to the public. This musician is bringing that back. Still keeping that spirit alive, the flip, “Stop Mr. Ice Cream Man” could be a Lou Donaldson outtake. As happy as a sunny day in the park, this lovely stroll is another banger that is spot on. This kind of vibe is what drew us to jazz initially. Chris Hazelton’s Boogaloo 7 are taking that classic sound, honoring it, and adding their own sound to it. Not only are they preserving the old jazz, but exposing new audiences to this fantastic music with their own twist on it. When we look back 10, 20, 30, years from now, these indie jazz records will be the ones to covet with record collectors. These will be those go to records for the next generation of 45 slingers who want to expose this great music to the generation after them. Believe it. Listen to both of the sides below.

Buy the record here.

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