Reply #98: Otis was a national treasure IMHO

[B3Nut]

An amazing soul singer and writer. Coupled with the arranging genius of Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper and the Stax crew, he made some of the best soul music ever. I have yet to hear anything that can top it.

Another jazzer, while not as influential as Bird or some others mentioned here, who died too young was Larry Young, AKA Khalid Yasin. He took the Hammond organ in a free-jazz direction, well away from the soul-jazz/blues-based style of Jimmy Smith (RIP). His stuff with Tony Williams Lifetime (which had John McLaughlin on guitar) was insane..."Emergency" and "Allah Be Praised" have some really out-there improvisation going on, amazing playing on those cuts.

Todd in Beerbratistan