Vibes player Johnny Lytle was one of the heroes of the early acid jazz club circuit, with his cut Selim being an anthem of the scene.
The Ohio born player had made his name at Riverside where his 1965 album The Village Caller made him a star. When Riverside ceased trading, owner Orrin Keepnews collaborated with Lytle on two albums which came out on the Detroit label Tuba.
Ace reissued the first album The Loop last year. BGP are delighted to now put out the second, New And Groovy. The line-up features Milt Harris (organ) Wynton Kelly (piano), George Duvivier (bass) “Peppy” Hinnant or Jimmy Cobb (drums) Montego Joe (congas) and Lytle on vibes the band power through a selection of original material like The Snapper, The Pulpit and Screamin’ Loud. The album also contains Lytle’s radical reworking of Miles Davis' Miles which Lytle retitles Selim. With poor distribution, New And Groovy barely made it to the shops back in 1967 and was ignored for twenty years until DJs such as Bob Jones and Gilles Peterson started playing it in the 80s making it a sought-after LP.
Tracklist:
- The Snapper
- Summertime
- Selim
- The Shadow of Your Smile
- Come and Get It
- The Pulpit
- Too Close for Comfort
- Chanukah
- Screamin' Loud
- El Marcel
