Grant Green - His Majesty King Funk (Verve Acoustic Sounds Series)

Soul jazz rarely sounds as relaxed as Grant Green's His Majesty King Funk, his only album for Verve, now back on 180-gram vinyl as part of the Verve Acoustic Sounds Series.

Green had built his name at Blue Note with a clean, horn-like single-note style, and this 1965 date, produced by Creed Taylor at Van Gelder Studio, finds him in a groove-first mood. Larry Young's organ is the key ingredient, trading phrases with the guitar, while Harold Vick's tenor brings blues and gospel inflections. Ben Dixon on drums and Candido Camero on congas keep the rhythm bubbling underneath.

The Selma March opens the record, a topical piece shaped by the civil rights movement, its easy swing carrying real purpose. Willow Weep For Me stretches out with plenty of space, Green taking his time over every line, and That Lucky Old Sun gives the old standard a slow, soulful reading. The Cantaloupe Woman keeps the mood loose and earthy, with Young and Vick leaning into the groove.

It sits somewhere between hard bop, R&B and the soul jazz that was just taking shape, and it was made shortly before Green stepped away from recording for a while.

Long prized by collectors and DJs, it is a warm, unhurried record that rewards close listening.