1967 · Album
Heavy!!!
Recorded 1966 · Prestige · Produced by Not specified in source material
Moody and Soulful, Built to Last
A rhythm section so remarkable it transforms Ervin's exploratory tenor into something deeply grounded and real.
Heavy!!! arrived in 1966 without fanfare, the kind of Prestige release that could have vanished into the catalog noise. But critics paid attention. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow heard what mattered: a saxophonist matched with a rhythm section so good it anchored everything around it, making space for mood and soul without ever becoming difficult or closed off. Yanow gave it four stars. The Penguin Guide awarded three out of four. Not the kind of numbers that get reprinted on posters, but solid enough to tell you the album had staying power.
By 1966, Ervin was well into his career, and this record sits somewhere between his working sessions and his strongest statements. The music here is characteristically moody—Ervin's tenor has always had that quality, that willingness to brood—but the rhythm section keeps it from feeling heavy in a bad way. Instead the heaviness becomes an asset, something soulful and exploratory that listeners can actually enter rather than admire from a distance. This is the kind of album that builds a small, loyal following because it rewards attention without demanding it.
If you know Ervin's earlier work, Heavy!!! shows him comfortable and purposeful. If you're new to him, it's a fair place to start, though you might also try Book of Lonesome (1963) to hear his range. Either way, this one delivers exactly what its title promises: weight, presence, and room to think.
Who's playing
Richard Davisbass
Jaki Byardpiano
Booker Ervintenor saxophone
Garnett Browntrombone
Alan Dawsondrums
Jimmy Owensbrass
Where next?
More by Booker Ervin
All 23 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
