Soul Sugar

by Jason Ankeny The Sonny Lester-produced Soul Sugar looms large in Jimmy McGriff's vast catalog -- while it's a fool's errand to pick the organist's absolute funkiest recording, this one demands serious consideration. Without personnel credits, it's impossible to know who's backing McGriff here, but the rhythm section is nonetheless superb -- cuts like "Dig on It" (later sampled by A Tribe Called Quest), "Fat Cakes," and "The Now Thing" rival the Meters for sheer soulfulness. The covers are no less impressive -- while renditions of James Brown's "Ain't It Funky Now," Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," and Aretha Franklin's "Spirit in the Dark" remain true to the spirit of the original recordings, the ingenious arrangements also allow McGriff and his band panoramic stretches of space to explore.