Tony Lavorgna & The St. Thomas Quartet - Chameleon (LP)

Facts A totally obscure release from Youngstown, Ohio's Tony Lavorgna and his late 70's early 1980's band: The St. Thomas Quartet. Like many private press albums, I was an ad for their set list, recorded on the cusp of cassettes and definitely before CD's. So strictly vinyl it is. A mixed bag of tunes and influences, but two of the tunes absolutely leap into your ears.A Hammond led Soul Jazz version of Herbie Hancock's 'Chameleon' at nearly ten minutes that seems to just get more drivingly funky and intense is absolutely inspired on this monster of a track. It makes you wonder why on earth more Hammond players didn't make a feature of this tune?The other inspired choice is War's 'The World Is A Ghetto' which just has to be one of the funkiest versions of this much covered tune. Some soulful sax from leader Lavorgna signposts the way for the rest of the band's soulful and jazzy contributions. With Hammond man David Thomas underpinning the song with his funk drenched riffs.Tony Lavorgna is a one off too, his life story is available in Comic Book form under the title 'Bebopman' by American Splendor writer Harvey Pekar.