Leon's Creation - This Is the Beginning (Studio 10, 1969)

Some other music blogs have already helped give wider exposure to this superlative late 1960s San Francisco soul-funk album. Previous reviewers have correctly noted the similarities between Leon's Creation and fellow multi-racial, mixed-gender Bay Area outfit Sly and the Family Stone, but I think that anything the two groups had in common was more likely due to parallel development instead of outright mimicry. There doesn't seem to be a lot of information out there about this band, despite their releasing two other LPs as well as leader Leon Patillo's subsequent stint as Santana's vocalist in the mid 1970s and present gig as a contemporary Christian musician.


The participating musicians on what is apparently Leon's Creation's first record include Patillo on keyboards, Neal (last name unknown) on guitar, Billy Gerst on trumpet, Dennis (last name unknown) on saxophone, Carol Stallings on violin, Jimmy Calhoun on bass, and Joe (last name unknown) on drums. The group's resemblance to the aforementioned Sly and the Family Stone becomes immediately apparent at the beginning of the first track, although Stallings's violin work adds a distinctive element to the ensemble's sound throughout and the lyrics of all eight songs generally avoid the forceful sloganeering that often characterizes Sylvester Stewart's best-known compositions. Given Patillo's religious beliefs, I now can't help but wonder if some of these tunes might have a deeper spiritual meaning. And what's with the crucifix standing in for the letter "t" in the word "Creation" on the album cover? Well, even if any of these performances are Christian-themed, the message is never delivered in a heavy-handed fashion.


I won't hesitate to describe This Is the Beginning as a small masterpiece, even if the sound of Leon's Creation comes off as somewhat derivative at times. Every song is a winner, and I truly mean that. Jimmy Calhoun's nimble bass playing is the best of many highlights on the title track, while Carol Stallings's undeniably soulful vocals perfectly complement the laid-back grooves featured in "Until You Were Gone." The six-and-a-half-minute "Mirage" furnishes ample opportunities for everyone to show off their chops, with the mysterious guitarist Neal arguably providing the most exquisite contributions. The swaggering "Back Roads" and the equally vivacious "Confusion" might be this LP's most Sly-like performances but are so flawlessly executed that they deserve praise in their own right. "If I Had the Power" could possibly be a religious song but still has arrangements that are easy to get down to if you prefer dancing over spiritual reflection. The drummer lays down unerring rhythms all through This Is the Beginning, but it's on "Love" and "Sightless" (OK, this one has some pretty Sly-like moves as well) that his percussive talents shine most brightly.


1. This Is the Beginning
2. Until You Were Gone
3. Mirage
4. Back Roads
5. Confusion
6. If I Had the Power
7. Love
8. Sightless