Memphis Two-Step was the third in
Herbie Mann's series of soul/R&B-inflected albums with similar names that began with
Memphis Underground and continued with
Muscle Shoals Nitty Gritty. It is also one of the weakest. "Soul Man" and the title cut really cook, with the personnel and recording information on the latter indicating it may be an outtake from the
Memphis Underground sessions. In fact, it is the only track actually recorded in Memphis. The rest of the album doesn't work very well, with "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" a particularly poor choice for a jazz session. The album cover, however, is very cool. ~ Jim Newsom