Organist Charles Kynard, born in St. Louis in 1933, passed away relatively young at the age of 46 in 1979. Despite a short career, he left a lasting impression on the international jazz-funk scene with a string of soul-jazz classics, culminating with Woga, recorded in 1972 for Bob Shad‘s Mainstream Records.
Kynard began his professional career in St. Louis before relocating to Los Angeles in the early ’60s, where he started recording for the Pacific Jazz label. There, he worked with renowned musicians such as Howard Roberts, Sonny Stitt, and Buddy Collette, releasing his debut album for the label in 1963. A few years later, he switched to Prestige Records, recording a series of albums that would become staples of the soul-jazz canon — including Reelin’ With The Feelin’ (1969), Afro-Disiac (1970), and Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui (1971). These records, rich with breakbeats provided by the likes of Bernard Purdie, Paul Humphrey, and Idris Muhammad, have since been sampled by artists such as Bonobo, Cypress Hill and The Chemical Brothers.
In 1971, Kynard joined Bob Shad’s Mainstream Records and recorded three highly sought-after albums for the label, including Woga. Featuring a lineup of elite L.A. session players — Chuck Rainey on bass, Paul Humphrey on drums, and Arthur Adams on guitar — the album is a tour de force of instrumental funk, showcasing Kynard’s formidable Hammond organ chops.
Woga, includes dynamic covers of contemporary soul hits such as Donny Hathaway‘s “Little Ghetto Boy,” Aretha Franklin‘s “Rock Steady,” and the Staple Singers‘ “Name the Missing Word,” alongside deep-cut originals like the fiery “Hot Sauce,” the laid-back “Lime Twig,” and the explosive nine-minute jam “Slop Jar,” featuring standout solos by trombonist George Bohanon, guitarist Arthur Adams, and trumpeter Jerome Rusch.
This reissue also includes the bonus track “Smiling Faces Sometimes”, a rendition of the Motown psychedelic soul hit by The Undisputed Truth. Recorded during the original Woga sessions, the track briefly surfaced on a low-profile Mainstream compilation two years later. It features none other than the legendary Carol Kaye on bass.
Woga has been newly remastered for vinyl by Colorsound Studio in Paris. The reissue faithfully reproduces the original gatefold artwork and includes first-generation photos sourced from the Mainstream Records archives. This is the first-ever vinyl reissue in over fifty years — a long-awaited event for jazz-funk lovers around the globe.
