John Young - Touch of Pepper

All Music Guide

John Young's final Argo session pairs the pianist with bassist Sam Kidd and drummer Phil Thomasa solid if unremarkable date, A Touch of Pepper is nevertheless a textbook example of the souljazz trio aesthetic that emerged in Chicago during the early 1960s. The warm, light groove owes much to Ramsey Lewis, although Young's bluesy touch lends tracks like "Joey" and "Got a Lot of Living to Do" a hint of melancholy that sets the session apartstill, there's no real spark to spur the music to the next level, and while it's undeniably wellplayed, A Touch of Pepper simply doesn't deliver enough spice of life to demand repeated listening.

- Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide