Stomping rock ‘n’ soul from the East Side

Guitarist Ronnie Duran was the eponymous leader of this mid-60s East Side rock ‘n’ soul group, managed by the ubiquitous Billy Cardenas, they were fellow travelers of Cannibal and the Headhunters, the Premiers, Thee Midniters and others. Their one full-length album is deeply indebted to the early Chicago sound of Curtis Mayfield, but also to Bobby Womack, Junior Walker and Major Lance. The soul base is strained through the garage and club sounds of mid-60s East Los Angeles, and powered by the rhythm of “The Jerk.” The bulk of the material is covers, which is what you’d expect to hear on a Saturday night out, but there are a few originals, including the Arthur Lee penned lead off “I Wanna do the Jerk.” This is excellent garage soul, fronted by the strong R&B vocals of Charles Lett, and backed with solid organ, deep baritone saxophone, and foot-stomping bass and drums. It’s hard to believe that music this solid and mature was made by, literally, a group of teenagers. Crank it up as the soundtrack to your next dance party. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]