Face To Face

Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette remains an underrated architect of soul jazz, and this 1961 Blue Note debut stands as essential evidence of his mastery. Across these sessions, Willette's Hammond B-3 work cuts with raw intensity—blues-inflected, technically commanding, and deeply soulful. The supporting cast elevates every moment: Grant Green's guitar work is incisive, Fred Jackson's tenor saxophone cuts through with authority, and Ben Dixon's drumming anchors the grooves with precision. What emerges is unvarnished soul jazz at its most compelling, captured in its prime and immortalized by Reid Miles' iconic photography. A landmark recording that deserves equal standing alongside the more celebrated organ-jazz canon.