Search - Billy Butler :: Legends of Acid Jazz

The Original "Soul Jazz"/Funky Jazz Organ Guitarist

Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 06/18/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Long before Grant Green, Wes Montgomery, Melvin Sparks and Cornell Dupree, Billy Butler was the original soul/organ jazz guitarist. He played with virtually every organist under the sun and plenty of other Jazz and R & B legends too - - for a time Billy was the ultimate gun for hire appearing on albums by the likes of Rhaasan Roland Kirk, Houston Person, B.B. King, Freddie King, Little Willie John, Earl Bostic, Jimmy Smith and lot's more, not to mention the Godfather, Wild Bill Davis... This CD includes both his Jazzy, Bluesy and funky side... and boy could he play funky... in fact he was part of James Brown's funky studio band during the KING years in the mid-late '60s... That's him playing on Outta Sight... ! ! ! Anyway, this album features some hip shaking funk and boogaloo cuts (check out that funky steel slide guitar thing he does) as well as Jazz and blues - - many tracks feature the late great Johnny Hammond Smith on organ as well as piano... He proves himself capable of kicking funk as well as doing the "Wes" think quite sweet and beautifully.Though this is a great CD, if you're really in the mood to hear him get down, check out his 1970 recording SWEET TALK (often listed under the name of BILLIE BUTLER) and you'll really wonder why this versatile groove master's gems have spent so much time hiding in the vaults (even though the thousands of sessions he's done have become very much a part of our lives ! ! !)"

Amazing style on guitar!

Christopher Waters | boca raton florida | 03/30/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Billy Butler is amazing what a player. His band is also kickin it hard. Houston Person is a wonderful player on sax great tone. I love this disk takes me away to tropical bliss."