by Stewart Mason
Well, somebody had to title a soul-jazz organ album this eventually. Questionable puns aside, 1999's Organ Donor is a solid but unexceptional outing. In the '60s, Reuben Wilson was firmly in the second string of soul-jazz organ players, never quite making it to the ranks of &Brother& Jack McDuff or Jimmy Smith despite a string to good to great albums on Blue Note and other labels. Wilson had been keeping a low profile until the early-'90s acid jazz scene made organs a fashionable instrument again, causing the German label Ausfahrt to sign Wilson to re-record some of his most popular tunes with a younger, post-hip-hop set of musicians. The results aren't as embarrassing as they might be; Wilson is still a master at soulful grooves and meaty organ solos that come across with a minimum of flash but a ton of feeling, and his playing is excellent throughout. The problem is that the young no-names playing with him are nothing special, and the grooves never catch fire the way they should. &Groovin'& and &Got to Get Your Own '98& do benefit from the presence of singer Saundra Williams, however.