With a similar background to that of Ornette Coleman’s – coming out of an RnB background with a firm root in early soul music – organist Larry Young (eventually Khalid Yasin) made a tremendous racket within the burgeoning avant jazz scene during the late fifties and early sixties.

Coming out of New Jersey, Young had early exposures to music – his father also being an organist. Taking piano lessons was even augmented by the two Youngs working out at home. While his father didn’t make a mark in early jazz on east coast, Young, before he was twenty years old, would work with some that would eventually comprise an elite, if unknown, clutch of important players. Lou Donaldson hasn’t been lost to time, but there’s a specific portion of the jazz listening audience that appreciates his acoustic work. Either way, for a twenty year old from Newark to sit in, tour and record with a player of that status was pretty impressive.

But much like that trumpeter, Young wouldn’t wind up being a huge name in jazz, which is a bit surprising considering the time he was active became rife with famous organists. Soul jazz was a big thing for a moment, focused on keys. And while Young was unquestionably influenced by that sound, he didn’t play within that mold.

It’s been repeatedly figured that Young owed a debt to John Coltrane and Miles Davis, who was a major purveyor of modal stuff at the time. And while the organist would eventually work with that latter player, it’s supremely difficult to hear to many similarities between each individuals recordings as a date leader. Young would eventually move towards a rock idiom, but on 1964’s Unity, that sound just isn’t there.

And while the album has been lauded for being ‘ahead of its time’ and other such over blown concepts that can’t exist, Unity isn’t nearly as adventurous as Coleman or Coltrane. Maybe this early in the sixties, Unity trumps Davis’ recordings in regards to its freewheelin’ nature, but that wouldn’t be the case a few years on.

Either way, Young assembled a group feature Joe Henderson, Woody Shaw and Elvin Jones. It might seem odd to have to horn players and a drummer as the only accompaniment for the organist, but tracks like “If” swing ridiculously hard – for any ensemble. A cursory listen could make folks think Unity is only a moderately out-there affair. But after getting past the introductory melodic lines, hearing each player take a solo should find listeners supremely engaged.