Reachin' (Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf Series)
Roger Glenn
Reachin’ is flautist and multi‑instrumentalist Roger Glenn’s 1977 debut as a bandleader, a Latin jazz–funk fusion album produced by Larry and Fonce Mizell that has long been a cult favorite among crate‑diggers and fusion collectors. Originally released on the Fantasy label and overshadowed at the time by the rise of disco and P‑funk, the record became a “secret handshake” title for fans of the Mizell Brothers’ work with Donald Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey, thanks to its blend of cosmic funk grooves, Brazilian‑inflected rhythms, and rich, melodic writing centered on Glenn’s flute and vibraphone. In 2026, Reachin’ returns to vinyl after nearly five decades as part of Jazz Dispensary’s AAA Top Shelf series, cut all‑analog from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray, pressed on 180‑gram vinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing, and housed in a tip‑on jacket that faithfully reproduces the original artwork.
Musically, the eight‑track album moves from sun‑drenched dance‑floor burners to meditative, percussion‑driven excursions. The infectious title cut “Reachin’” and fast fusion samba “Rio” open the record with rolling Mizell rhythms, funky organs, and Glenn’s radiant flute lines floating over a rhythm section that includes Headhunters alumni Bill Summers (percussion) and Paul Jackson (bass), plus keyboardist Mark Soskin and guitarist Ray Obiedo. Mid‑album pieces like “Don’t Leave,” “E.B.F.S.,” and “Overtime” lean into smoother, soul‑jazz moods, while “Kick” stretches out into a hard, gyrating funk workout and “Gloria” slides closer to modal jazz, giving Glenn room to showcase the improvisational chops that made him a key session player of the era. The finale “Rezo Chango,” an incantatory Afro‑Caribbean prayer to the Yoruba deity Chango, strips things down to chant and layered percussion—including contributions from a young Sheila E.—underscoring the album’s spiritual, transportive ambitions and reinforcing why Reachin’ is now being framed as an essential rediscovered gem in the jazz‑funk canon.
Reachin' (Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf Series)
Roger Glenn
Reachin’ is flautist and multi‑instrumentalist Roger Glenn’s 1977 debut as a bandleader, a Latin jazz–funk fusion album produced by Larry and Fonce Mizell that has long been a cult favorite among crate‑diggers and fusion collectors. Originally released on the Fantasy label and overshadowed at the time by the rise of disco and P‑funk, the record became a “secret handshake” title for fans of the Mizell Brothers’ work with Donald Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey, thanks to its blend of cosmic funk grooves, Brazilian‑inflected rhythms, and rich, melodic writing centered on Glenn’s flute and vibraphone. In 2026, Reachin’ returns to vinyl after nearly five decades as part of Jazz Dispensary’s AAA Top Shelf series, cut all‑analog from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray, pressed on 180‑gram vinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing, and housed in a tip‑on jacket that faithfully reproduces the original artwork.
Musically, the eight‑track album moves from sun‑drenched dance‑floor burners to meditative, percussion‑driven excursions. The infectious title cut “Reachin’” and fast fusion samba “Rio” open the record with rolling Mizell rhythms, funky organs, and Glenn’s radiant flute lines floating over a rhythm section that includes Headhunters alumni Bill Summers (percussion) and Paul Jackson (bass), plus keyboardist Mark Soskin and guitarist Ray Obiedo. Mid‑album pieces like “Don’t Leave,” “E.B.F.S.,” and “Overtime” lean into smoother, soul‑jazz moods, while “Kick” stretches out into a hard, gyrating funk workout and “Gloria” slides closer to modal jazz, giving Glenn room to showcase the improvisational chops that made him a key session player of the era. The finale “Rezo Chango,” an incantatory Afro‑Caribbean prayer to the Yoruba deity Chango, strips things down to chant and layered percussion—including contributions from a young Sheila E.—underscoring the album’s spiritual, transportive ambitions and reinforcing why Reachin’ is now being framed as an essential rediscovered gem in the jazz‑funk canon.