Ray Bryant - Take A Bryant-Step download free

I found this LP in the dollar bin of a vinyl store in Virginia. It cleaned up very well and plays like a charm. Love the music. Bryant was label mate with Ramsey Lewis, who appears to have some influence here with emphasis on a vibrant piano keyboard. Released in 1967, the song selection turns many hit pop tunes into delightful rocking jazz numbers. Bryant's take on the Aretha Franklin hit of the Carole King song "Natural Woman" uses piano for the melody with the rocking jazz combo in full support. Jimmy Webb was churning out hits in that era; and Bryant scoops up two Fifth Dimension gems including the lesser known "Paper Cup" and the gorgeous hit "Up, Up & Away" and polishes them delightfully. The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" and the soft Beatle ballad "Yesterday" are both given charming jazz settings as is the Bobbie Gentry big hit "Ode to Billie Joe." The instrumental performance is grand and the familiar melodies resonate in this new jazz setting. Enjoy!