Soul on Top

Soul on Top is the 28th studio album by American musician James Brown. The album was released in April 1970, by King. Brown and saxophonist Maceo Parker worked with arranger/conductor Oliver Nelson to record a big band, funk and jazz vocal album. It was recorded with Louie Bellson and his 18-piece jazz orchestra at United Western Recorders in Hollywood, California in November 1969, and features jazz standards, show tunes, and middle of the road hits, as well as a new arrangement of Brown's funk hit "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag".

The album was reissued in 2004 with one previously unreleased bonus track, a big band version of Brown's 1967 hit "There Was a Time", and new liner notes by jazz critic Will Friedwald.

Critical reception
Reviewing the Verve reissue for The Village Voice in September 2004, Tom Hull said, "This extends Ray Charles's omnivorous big-band soul, with Brown reinventing standards—'That's My Desire,' 'September Song,' 'Every Day I Have the Blues,' 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag'—in front of Louie Bellson's orchestra, which arranger-conductor Oliver Nelson barely manages to discipline, so caught up is the band in the singer's excitement. In Brown's discography, just a curio. But in the whole history of big band jazz, there's never been a singer like him."

Personnel

 * James Brown - vocal
 * Oliver Nelson - arranger and conductor
 * Ernie Watts - alto saxophone
 * Joe Romano - alto saxophone
 * Maceo Parker - tenor saxophone
 * Buddy Collette - tenor saxophone
 * Pete Christlieb - tenor saxophone
 * Jim Mulidore - baritone saxophone
 * Al Aarons - trumpet
 * Chuck Findley - trumpet
 * John Audino - trumpet
 * Tom Porello - trumpet
 * Jimmy Cleveland - trombone
 * Nick DiMaio - trombone
 * Kenny Shroyer - trombone
 * Bill Tole - trombone
 * Frank Vincent - piano
 * Bill Pitman - guitar
 * Louis Shelton - guitar
 * Ray Brown - bass
 * Louis Bellson - drums, bandleader
 * Jack Arnold - percussion