Keep Your Soul Together

A Survey of Modern Jazz, Jazz-Funk and Fusion on CTI and Kudu Records

Keep Your Soul Together surveys 183 LP’s, the bulk of CTI/Kudu’s modern jazz, jazz-funk and fusion releases. As well as highlighting the often excellent quality of the music, emphasis is placed on the labels’ important role in helping newcomers ‘cross over’ into jazz, both at CTI/Kudu and beyond. As well as the survey, a snapshot is provided of founder Creed Taylor along with definitions of the various types of jazz represented in the CTI/Kudu catalogues. Keep Your Soul Together is written in an approachable style without too much in the way of jargon. Although jazz always needs new converts, the book may also be of use to seasoned listeners keen to find out what (more) the labels have to offer. It concludes with a list of 41 essential albums.