Jess Roden - The Best Of (2009)

Jess Roden came to prominence as the up-front vocalist for The Alan Bown Set as they worked the mid-60s club circuit, but left them for a folk-rock direction with Bronco and his own band. With a confident rock voice that could adapt to many song styles, his work was always convincing.
Consequently, following a rocking opener in Ballad Of Big Sally, it’s often the slower and more restrained songs such as Blowin’, Me & Crystal Eye, Woman Across The Water and the trombone-infused In A Circle that most satisfy on this collection. With the material here drawn from five albums spanning 1974-80, Roden matures like a good wine, supported by a great band whose members also collaborate with him on many of the songs. Cover versions include fine takes on Randy Newman’s You Can Leave Your Hat On, Doc Pomus’ Lonely Avenue, and Whitfield/Strong’s Temptations hit Can’t Get Next To You. An attractive package by any standards, celebrating one of the industry’s best voices.

Jess Roden - Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Horn, String Arrangements, Drums, Percussion, Vocals, Background Vocals
Bruce Robertson, Leo Nocentelli, Charlie Brown, Franklin Micare, Lance Quinn, John Tropea, David Landau, Jeff Layton, Jeff Mironov, Cliff Morris - Guitar
Bruce Roberts, Steve Webb - Guitar, Vocals
Neil Jason, Anthony Jackson, Milt Hinton, Francisco Centeno, George Porter, Jr., Rick Chudacoff, Pat Donaldson, Mickey Feat - Bass
John Cartwright - Bass, Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
John "Rabbit" Bundrick - Keyboards, Organ, Piano
Billy Livsey - Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Clavinet
Mick Weaver - Fender Rhodes, Keyboards
Allen Toussaint - Piano, Conga
Rick Smith - Keyboards
Roy Davies - Keyboards, Organ, Clavinet
Leon Pendarvis - Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals
Shirley Scott, Rob Mounsey, George Clinton, Pat Rebillot - Keyboards
Art Neville - Organ
Ziggy Modeliste, Simon Kirke, Richard Bailey, Pete Hunt, Neil Bunetta, Buddy Williams, Peter Bunetta, Gary Mure, Richard Crooks, Chris Parker - Drums
Rubens Bassini, Crusher Bennett, Arno Lucas - Percussion
Rebop Kwaku Baah - Conga, Percussion
Alan Sharp - Conga
David Carey - Vibraphone, Background Vocals
Alan Raph, Tom "Bones" Malone, Chris Gower - Trombone
Derek Wadsworth, Billy Lyall - Horn Arrangements
Scott Hamilton - Saxophone
Pat Ryan - Alto Saxophone
Ronnie Taylor - Alto & Tenor Sax
George Lee - Tenor Sax
Harold Vick - Saxophone, Wind
Chris Gower - Trombone
Alan Raph, Wayne Andre - Trombone, Brass
Lee Goodall - Clarinet, Bass Clarinet
New Orleans Horns, Jon Faddis, Burt Collins, Michael Lawrence, Virgil Jones, George Marge, Pee Wee Ellis, Victor Paz, Alan Rubin - Horn
Virgil Jones, David Taylor, Lew Soloff, Barry Rogers - Brass, Horn
Raymond Beckenstein, Howard Johnson, Lou Marini - Wind
Howard Johnson - Brass, Wind
Alex Foster, Romeo Penque, Billy Slapin, Harold Vick, David Tofani - Reeds (Multiple), Wind
Raymond Beckenstein, John Campo - Reeds (Multiple)
Steve Gregory - Flute
Regis Iandiorio, Lamar Alsop, Lou Eley, Lewis Eley, Stanley Pollock, John Pintavalle, Harold Kohon, Kathryn Kienke - Violin
Jesse Levy, Kermit Moore, Charles McCracken - Cello
Al Brown, Sue Pray, Lenore Weinstock - Viola
The Manny Vardi - Viola, Strings
Harry Robinson, William S. Fischer - Strings
Arnold McCutler, Joshie Armstead, Chandra Armstead, Janice Pendarvis, Barbara Massey, Luther Vandross, Jaki Whitren, Zachary Sanders - Vocals
Benny Diggs, Michael Lee Gray, Delores Hall - Vocals, Background Vocals