Organist
Charles Earland, who many referred to as "The Mighty Burner," passed away in 1999. On this 2000 release titled The Almighty Burner, 32 Jazz eternalizes the memory of a musician who was among the finest practitioners of jazz/groove organ-led ensembles.
Earland, ever the protagonist, performed with fiery intensity amid soul-drenched lines, which is most evident on this set of originals and sprightly jazzed-up renditions of pop hits such as Gordon/Bourne's "Unforgettable" and P. N. Upton's "More Today Than Yesterday." Consisting of 11 tracks spanning 1976 through 1991, the listener should benefit from this comprehensive overview of
Earland's stylistic melding of funk, pop, and mainstream jazz into a vernacular that proclaimed his shrewd rhythmic sensibilities and predilection for reconstructing themes and melodies. The organist also performs a bouncy, finger-snapping version of
Miles Davis' "Milestones," as this set reaches its finale with a radiant post-bop translation of saxophonist
Joe Henderson's composition "The Kicker." Artists such as saxophonists
Houston Person,
Eric Alexander, and trombonist
Clifford Adams represent some of the more notable jazz performers who supported
Earland on these often-vivacious pieces. Hence, The Almighty Burner offers a worthy snapshot of this time-honored yet sorely missed artist.