The James Taylor Quartet - Blow Up! A JTQ Collection (1998)

Review by Thom Jurek

Simply put, Blow Up! A JTQ Collection is the most representative set of the
band's work until Hammond-Ology (a double disc) a few years later. Released as a
joint effort between Acid Jazz and Music Club, it is loaded with 17 burning cuts
ranging from raw, woolly spy-groovers like "Mission Impossible" and "Theme from
Dirty Harry" by Lalo Schifrin to the monstrous U.K. hit the band had with its
instrumental meltdown reading of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" to the funky,
soulful groove jazz of tracks such as "3 Mile Island," "One Way Street," and "In
the Hand of the Inevitable." The harder-driving funked-up jazz-rock (and that
doesn't mean fusion) on "Europa" and "Check It Out" illustrate yet another side
of the band's seemingly limitless forte at the time, just as slower tunes like a
fine instrumental cover of Paul Simon's "Mrs. Robinson" and the gorgeous "Love
Ballad" do their soulful side. If you can hunt this baby down, it'll be cheap,
it sounds great, and it has decent liners. Well worth investigating, but be
forewarned: you'll be digging for the original albums before long should you
attempt a listen.