Organist Billy Larkin and The Delegates immediately came to the attention of the Los Angeles jazz audience when their first record was released, but they also picked up a larger audience when the teenagers discovered they could dance to it!! The Delegates were a dynamic jazz trio consisting of Mel Brown (drums), Hank Swarn (guitar) and Billy Larkin (Organ). Their sound fused elements soul and funk into the mix and this gave them an edge which took their music away from any one straightforward genre. They recorded for what I believe to be a three year stint, releasing over half a dozen albums and several singles in that time.
Offering a sizzling mix of jazz, funk and soul, Pigmy Part 1, b/w Pigmy Part 2, was released in 1965 and proved to be a dance sensation. Originally released as a single on US label Aura Records, both sides have a certain spice to them; something that takes jazz into exotic realms! Rhythm is something that always draws me in and on both sides to this 45 percussion is the king! Coupled with Larkins sensationally explosive keys, the samba beat plays a heavy part in this electrifying fusion!
Check it out above (and just in case you wondered what Part 1 sounded like, I’ve included it below!).
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