No Way! album cover
No Way!

Ivan "Boogaloo Joe" Jones

1971
Prestige

No Way is straight up high energy soul-jazz from the off, with the high-paced opening title track providing an opportunity for the various soloists to let rip while IVJJ absolutely kills it on what is essentially a variation of 12-bar blues. There’s an effortlessness to the playing here which kind of washes over you, it’s all just so expertly phrased, each lick, chord and note so accurately placed in relation to every other part that the sheer skill involved is almost hidden. It’s the kind of playing that is so top-level you don’t notice how good it is, how the band are just perfectly locked in, even seven minutes after the track started. Funk, soul, blues, gospel, pop and jazz are all present here on one of Jones’ strongest album outings. 

Harold Heath

Who also suggested

If you select your preferred streamer here, we will save your preference and link to that platform if possible. This can always be changed in the Settings menu.

Apple Music

If you’d like to prioritize Bandcamp if available, tap the Bandcamp logo.

Since some albums are only available on one service, you’ll still see logos for other services if the album is only available on that service.

Next