“Soul Meeting”
Song by Ray Charles and Milt Jackson
The title track of the second Ray Charles/Milt Jackson album is “Soul Meeting”. Recorded in 1957 during sessions for the Soul Brothers LP and released four years later, this song and the whole Soul Meeting album are exquisite examples of instrumental jazz, with a tight rhythm section and a series of rather wonderful solos.
Vibraphonist Milt Jackson wrote “Soul Meeting”, which is centered around a hip guitar figure played by Kenny Burrell. It swings, in a Pink Panther kind of way – a sly-sounding 1960s mod sound ahead of its time. Ray Charles plays piano mostly in a supporting role, his jazzy bebop chords jerking this way and that in tandem with Percy Heath’s wandering bass and Art Taylor’s simple brushed drumming.
The quintet is spright throughout the six-minute piece, the players staying on their toes even while settled into the laid-back pace of the mid-tempo groove. Milt Jackson takes the first solo, his glowing vibraphone demanding attention thanks to his mesmerizing prowess and his vibes’ chirping bell-like clarity.
As the vibraphone fades away Kenny Burrell gets a chance to shine. Having been driving the melody along with his repeated guitar riff, finally he gets to let his slightly fuzzy electric guitar step into the spotlight. The snarling six-string snake offers a great counterpoint to the warm, almost goofy pop of the vibes.
Where to go now, after these explorations to either side of the aural spectrum? To Ray Charles’ piano, of course. Ray’s instrumental dexterity was never in doubt and as usual he adds a solo of great beauty and depth to “Soul Meeting”. The familiarity of his keyboard tone bridges the sizzling guitar and the incandescent vibraphone, pulling the piece from its previous extremes back to the center. Thus the soundscape is complete.
The three soloists come together for a brief reunion in the closing seconds of “Soul Meeting”, each adding a few dashes of notes in a kind of brotherly stew to commemorate their journey’s end.
“Soul Meeting” is the first song on Side 2 of the Soul Meeting LP. The liner notes on the original back album cover say this:
“Soul Meeting” is Milt’s composition, and it demonstrates how central the blues is to his thinking and musical being. Some of the most superb virtuoso playing of all Milt’s work is to be heard here. Guitarist Kenny Burrell also has unusually glittering passages.
– Gary Kramer
It’s a good description of the piece. “Soul Meeting”, first appearing on an album of outtakes and leftovers as it did, goes a long way toward justifying that album. It’s a testament to the genius of Ray and his friends, and to the musical possibilities available for jazz musicians at the highest levels of their craft.
Listen to “Soul Meeting”
Songs on Soul Meeting