Charles Kynard (February 20, 1933 – July 8, 1979) – Zebra Walk (1971)

The unsung Hammond organ genius wrote this very funky jam for his final LP on Prestige Records, featuring Idris Muhammad on drums.

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Charles Kynard was an unsung soul-jazz organist who deserves to be remembered alongside organ legends like Richard “Groove” Holmes and Jimmy Smith.

Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Charles Elliot Kynard’s parents were both professional musicians. He began playing music at age nine, and eventually switched from the piano to organ. Kynard attended the University of Kansas at Lawrence for undergrad and graduate school, then led his own jazz trio in Kansas City.

He moved to Los Angeles in 1963 and began working in Hollywood studio orchestras for Columbia and Warner Bros., which led to his recording career. His first appearance on a record was backing Sonny Stitt on his 1963 album My Mother's Eyes, for which he received featured billing on the cover (“With The Jazz Organ Of Charles Kynard”). He next released his own solo debut LP, Where It's At! (1963) featuring Clifford Scott. Both were issued by Pacific Jazz Records.

From 1968-71, he put out five highly regarded soul-jazz albums on Prestige Records. The first was Professor Soul (1968), followed by The Soul Brotherhood (1969), which was recorded at Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on March 10, 1969 with an all-star lineup. Besides Kynard on organ, bassist Jimmy Lewis, and drummer Mickey Roker, David “Fathead” Newman played tenor sax, Blue Mitchell was on trumpet, and the great Grant Green was on guitar.

The LP was arranged by songwriter/arranger Richard Fritz, who Kynard had become friends with in college. Kynard wrote the laid back cut “Jealjon,” featuring a superb solo by Newman, and the album’s stellar title track.

For Afro-Disiac (1970), again recorded at Van Gelder Studios, Fritz wrote and arranged four original tracks, including the funky title track and the swinging jam “Odds On.” Green and Lewis returned on guitar and bass, joined by Houston Person on tenor sax and Bernard Purdie on drums.

Kynard released his final album on Prestige the following year. The title track to Wa Tu Wa Zui (Beautiful People) (1971) was written and arranged by Fritz.

The very funky jam “Zebra Walk” was solely written by Kynard. Like most of the rest of the album, it featured Idris Muhammad on drums. Other players were Lewis on bass, Melvin Sparks on guitar, Rusty Bryant on tenor sax, and Virgil Jones on trumpet.

Kynard then moved to the deceptively named small jazz label Mainstream Records, owned by producer Bob Shad. Here he released a self-titled album in 1971 that featured legendary Wrecking Crew bassist Carol Kaye, Ernie Watts on tenor sax, and James Gadson on drums.

All but one of its tracks were written and arranged by Fritz, including the super funky opening cut “El Torro Poo Poo.”

Kynard’s day job was working as a special education teacher and he also gave piano lessons and served as the organist at the First AME Church in Los Angeles. During the seventies he toured for a time with Gladys Knight and the Pips, and late in the decade he released a pair of gospel records.

Sadly, Kynard died exactly forty-five years ago, passing away suddenly while he was playing his organ. He was only 46 years old.

Rest in Peace, Charles Kynard.

Further info:

“Charles Kynard,” obituary, The Kansas City Times, July 13, 1979.

“Charles Kynard: Legends Of Acid Jazz,” review by Douglas Payne, All About Jazz, July 1, 1999.

#soul #jazz #funk #Prestige #CharlesKynard