…lost soul from Lee Moses!
Lee Moses was a huge talent and if heโd had the big hit album he richly deserved, Time And Place wouldโve been it. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Moses cut his teeth in the clubs of Atlanta, the โMotown of the Southโ, where he frequently performed alongside his contemporary Gladys Knight (who reportedly wanted him for the Pips, but couldnโt pin him down).
It was, however, in New York in the โ60s that Moses made his greatest bid to find the solo fame he desired. Moses began working there as a session player, even playing frequently with a pre-fame Jimi Hendrix, but his close relationship with producer and Atlanta native Johnny Brantley eventually saw him getting his own break via a series of 45s in 1967 โ most notably with covers of Joe Simonโs โMy Adorable Oneโ, The Four Topsโ โReach Out, Iโll Be Thereโ and The Beatlesโ โDay Tripperโ.
It was 1971 before Mosesโ dream of being at stage front was realized, when he released his Brantley-produced LP Time And Place for Maple Records. Recorded with a band including members of The Ohio Players and Mosesโ own backing group The Deciples, it was, nonetheless, Moses himself whose star quality shone through, via his scratchy guitar riffs, his throat-ripping vocals and the stirring mood that permeates the LPโs heady mix of funk, soul and R&B.
The LP did no business, and Mosesโ dream quickly crumbled. Though details on his life are scarce, itโs believed he fled New York disenchanted with the music industry, feeling heโd been double-crossed by Brantley both in credit and remuneration for the countless records heโd played on. Back in Atlanta, Moses returned to playing the clubs, married twice, and fell into depression and drug dependency. He died in 1997 at the age of 56.
Time And Place soon became a much-sought-after item for collectors, and its cult has continued to grow over the years. Here’s the record on deluxe vinyl, with brand new liner notes from Sarah Sweeney including interviews with Mosesโ sister and his closest collaborator, the singer and guitarist Hermon Hitson. Through them, Moses becomes a little โ but just a little โ less of an enigma.
An absolutely essential lost soul record. Members will also get a Hi Records CD sampler featuring killer soul from Memphis by the likes of Al Green, Ann Peebles, Don Bryant, Syl Johnson, OV Wright, and more. Sign up here!