Larry Young

Unity is one of the great organ records precisely because it refuses to behave like one. Larry Youngbrings the Hammond into a post‑bop, modal context alongside Woody Shaw on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, and Elvin Jones on drums. The tunes – including originals by Young and his bandmates – are harmonically rich and structurally intriguing, offering the soloists wide latitude. Young’s playing is astonishing: he voices chords in unexpected clusters, spins long horn‑like lines, and uses the instrument’s timbral range to shade shifts in mood. Shaw and Henderson contribute some of their most incisive early work; Jones’ drumming is a tidal force underneath. As the title suggests, this is a band record, organ jazz reinvented from the inside out.