Pino Palladino, Blake Mills – Notes with Attachments

Detroit’s Wendell Harrison is as much a teacher as he is an acclaimed reed player. Besides playing alongside numerous greats like Marvin Gaye, Sun Ra, and Aretha Franklin, Harrison has worked in education since the early 70’s and is the founder of Rebirth Inc., a non profit jazz performance and education organization. Organic Dream is arguably his best solo outing. “Ginseng Love” starts the record off with a bass and guitar lick building the groundwork for Wendell on flute to lead the track with an upbeat lightheartedness. There’s a whirling synth throughout that mimics a bird song and is as playful as it is funky. The standout track here is “Peace of Mind” which features lead vocalist Miche Braden over beautifully cascading wind chimes. The song blows away dark clouds with encouraging lyrics advising listeners to “chase the blues away” and is a beautiful mix of r&b, soul, and jazz.
– Tana Yonas
Recommended – A1 Ginseng Love, A2 Winter, B1 Peace of Mind
A1 Ginseng Love
A2 Winter
A3 Love Juice
B1 Peace Of Mind
B2 The Wok
B3 A Green Meadow
Bass – Wendell Lucas
Drums – Joe Tandy
Electric Piano Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals, Arranged By – Andrew Gibson
Guitar – Kenny Demery
Lead Vocals – Kathy Simmons
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Arranged By] – Miche Braden
Piano, Electric Piano, Percussion, Backing Vocals, Arranged By – Pamela Wise
Synthesizer – Dennis Boles
Synthesizer , Percussion, Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Backing Vocals, Arranged By, Executive-Producer – Wendell Harrison