Webster Lewis

This two-disc set expands significantly upon keyboardist Webster Lewis' 1971 Counterpoint debut Live at Club 7, adding a dozen performances absent from the original LP. Recorded with a stellar support unit including vocalist Judd Watkins, tenorist Stan Strickland, altoist Bobby Greene and drummer Jimmy Hopps, the music draws equally from jazz, soul and funk, forging a spiraling, deeply visceral sound that is both exploratory yet laser-focused. At times Lewis' keyboard achieves the monolithic peaks of spiritual jazz, but he keeps both feet on the ground, never abandoning the street-smart funk grooves at the music's core--it's a shame his later Columbia sessions settled for so much less. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide