CD Review
Leon Huff
"Here To Create Music"
The Right Stuff 72434-98951-2-6
by Dave Thomas
September 1999
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1999 KBA Award Winner Achievement for Blues on the Internet Presented by the Blues Foundation
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The Right Stuff record label have been reissuing lots of soul items, especially from the Philadelphia International Label, so it is right that Leon Huff gets a reissue on his 1980 "Here To Create Music" album. Leon started The Philadelphia label with Kenny Gamble in 1971 and they were the powerhouse behind all those hits, writing and producing many hits for lots of artists. But this album was to be Leon's only solo project for the Philadelphia label.
The album starts off with a funk workout "Your body won't move, if you can't feel the groove." It features some of the great singers who recorded for Philadelphia International -- The Jones Girls, Teddy Pendergrass, Eddie Lavert and McFadden & Whitehead. Stevie Wonder is featured on "No Greater Love," blowing his trademark harmonica to great effect on this romantic instrumental which also features some nice piano playing from Leon. We are even treated to a salsa type rhythmic tune on "Latin Spirit," which is quite the fashion at this current time in world music. "I Ain't Jivin', I'm Jammin'" has been a club favorite for many years and still gets plenty of radio plays. It jogs along at a nice pace and has some nice Hammond B3 organ as well as Leon's great piano playing. "Low Down, Hard Times Blues" is a real blues tune with some nice sax and yet again Leon Huff's piano playing. A nice album and despite it being 19 years old doesn't appear to have aged much.
This review is copyright © 1999 by Dave Thomas, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved.
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