1971's
Here Comes Shuggie Otis was the debut album by the guitarist and songwriter, issued by
Columbia, when
Shuggie was only 18. Produced and arranged by his father,
R&B legend
Johnny Otis, the set features nine original cuts co-written by the pair, and in some cases others, and one written by
Johnny with
Dan Aldrich. The album is evenly divided between vocal tunes and instrumentals. The cast for these sessions included
Johnny,
Wilton Felder,
Stix Hooper, bassist
Al McKibbon,
Preston Love,
Jackie Kelso,
Plas Johnson, and a string section.
"Oxford Gray," the album's opener, is an instrumental written by
Johnny,
Shuggie,
Felder, and
Hooper. Unlike anything that ever came before it, it's a
baroque blues tune that features
Shuggie playing both electric and acoustic bottleneck slide, a harpsichord, strings, and a groovy little backbeat that walks the edge of
blues and
funk. It feels like a suite because of its many composed sections, but
Shuggie's guitar is pure
improvisational poetry. This is followed by the beautiful,
psychedelic pop of
"Jennie Lee." Shuggie's vocals weren't quite there, and were still somewhat tentative, but his gorgeous,
Albert King-inflected guitar solo is right in the pocket, and stands in wonderful contrast to his acoustic string in the verses. The horns are restrained and regal, and the textural palette of the cut is lush and spacious. There is plenty of rootsy playing here too, such as on
"Bootie Cooler," a
Stax-styled
blues groove, and the name-dropping shimmy and shake of
"Shuggie's Boogie," the wig-tightening
funk of
"Hurricane," and the reverentially gritty
"Gospel Groove." It closes with a modern
soul rocker called
"Baby I Needed You," with a killer hook in the refrain even if
Shuggie's vocal doesn't quite pull it all off.
Here Comes Shuggie Otis stands the test of time over 30 years later, and stands as a hallmark of songwriting,
improvisation, and production acumen. ~ Thom Jurek
