Curtis is a sadly forgotten titan of '60s soul music. A master of the tenor saxophone, he was also an ace songwriter, producer and bandleader, helming Aretha Franklin's backing unit the Kingpins and cowriting R&B standards like "Soul Serenade." Recorded one week before he was murdered at the age of 37 on the steps of his New York City apartment, Live at Fillmore West shows Curtis at the top of his game in front of a wildly enthusiastic audience. The Kingpins plus Billy Preston and the Memphis Horns join the saxophonist on a set of instrumentals that includes sizzling R&B makeovers of songs ranging from Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" to Jerry Jeff Walker's "Mr. Bojangles." The closer's a spine-tingling rendition of "Soul Serenade." (Koch)
This article appears in Jul 4-10, 2007.