The Southern University Jazz Ensemble - Live at the 1971 American College Jazz Festival (1971)

It's truly amazing what can happen when you harness the power of students. Led by the legendary Alvin Batiste, the Jaguar Jazz Ensemble from Southern University in Baton Rouge (the first University level Jazz program in the country) work their way through a series of originals and covers - sustaining the intensity with each track - an amazing feat for musicians of such a young age. Some of the members of the band showcased on this album include bassist Julius Farmer (check out his killer solo on So What), drummer Herman Jackson (who went on to work with Stevie Wonder), sax player Reggie Houston, as well as pianist Henry Butler.

It's quite something to hear these guys playing together under the tutelage of a jazz master such as Batiste. Their grooves exhibit a complexity and depth that is not only hard to achieve at a young age but also hard to reach in the form of a live performance - as presented here. This is a copy of one of 500 re-issues put out by Family Groove/Jazzstronauts Records, a rare gem definitely worth checking out.

Vinyl ripped @ 320kbps

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