Jack Mack & The Heart Attack Live From Centennial Park-Atlanta 1996

Jack Mack & The Heart Attack
Live From Centennial Park-Atlanta 1996
Free Roll Records

Jack Mack & The Heart Attack are veterans of the LA scene with a classic Memphis-Muscle Shoals soul sound that undoubtedly was this he backdrop for many a party. This recording was memorialized when they performed at Centennial Park in Atlanta as part of the Atlanta Olympics cultural celebrations. It is a performance cut off abruptly at the end by the sound of an explosion as a pipe bomb went off near the stage, killing one person and injuring 111. The CD is being released at the same time, the movie "Richard Jewell," about the security guard wrongfully accused of being the bomber. Two of the songs from this recording are used in the Clint Eastwood film.

The personnel of Jack Mack & The Heart Attack in 1996 included Andrew Kastner (guitar and vocals), Bill Bergman (tenor sax and vocals), John Paruolo (Hammond B-3 and vocals), Lester Lovitt (Trumpet and vocals), Tim Scott (bass and vocals), TC Moses (lead vocals) and Alvino Bennett (drums). There is not much to say about the music here other than it is exceptionally played soul and R&B of the period. Moses was a powerful singer that night, and the band provided robust sympathies backing starting from the cover of the Dyke and the Blazers funky "(We Got) More Soul" to the sweet soul of the band's original "I Walked Alone" that closes this recording. Standout tracks include an inspired rendition of The Staples' "Respect Yourself," and a funky treatment of James Brown's "Sex Machine" (where tenor saxophonist Bergman takes a fiery solo and Paruolo quotes the Wide World of Sports theme in his Hammond B-3 solo), and a spectacular medley of Sly and The Family Stone songs.

Add in Band originals that fit right in with the covers, and one has one terrific performance documented by this superb recording, although the act of domestic terrorism put a damper at the event.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review originally appeared in the January-February Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 388) although a couple stylistic changes and corrections have been made. Here is "(We Got) More Soul" from this performance.