Not since Graham Bond’s own Organisation had the Mellotron’s icy strings entered into such delicious battle with the rich tones of a baying Hammond as on this cult fusion classic plucked from the vaults of Detroit’s Strata Records, precursor to New York’s Strata East. Long a priceless collectable, 1975’s Saturday Night Special caught Motor City organ wild card Lyman Woodard at the peak of a career that started in the 60s and continued at Detroit’s most perilous nitespots nearly up to his 2009 death.
Joined by mellifluous guitar-bassist Ron English, drummer Leonard King, percussionist Lorenzo Brown and – on the sonorous reflection of Joy Road – cool saxophonist Norma Jean Bell, Woodard cuts grooves hot enough to fry a henhouse, translating auto factory clang on the title track, delving into smouldering Latin on Cheeba and conscious vocals on Creative Musicians. Inevitably his day-job backing Motown stars The Undisputed Truth or Martha & The Vandellas informs his playing, but the gritty jazz vamps bottled here are more reflective of the ruined city night-crawling scene that spawned them.
Working with DJ Amir’s 180 Proof, BBE excel themselves on the lavish double album package, including bonus tracks and sleeve design/notes from Woodard’s 60s roommate John Sinclair. Impossibly cool.
