Ramon Morris : Sweet Sister Funk

From the mid to late 60’s Sonny Lester was at the helm of some of the period’s most significant jazz music (Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Chick Corea, Duke Ellington’s 70th birthday concert) and also some of the genre’s biggest hits (mostly from organist Jimmy Mcgriff). With the folding of the Solid State label in 1971 Sonny Lester formed the aptly named Groove Merchant label (named after the tune Jerome Richardson wrote for the Jones-Lewis Orchestra). He then produced some of the periods most notable soul/jazz, jazz/fusion from the likes of McGriff, Richard Groove Holmes, Reuben Wilson, Lonnie Smith to name but a few.