Young-Holt Unlimited

Bassist Eldee Young and drummer Isaac "Red" Holt first crossed paths while studying at Chicago’s American Conservatory of Music and later performed together in the Cleffs dance orchestra, where pianist Ramsey Lewis joined them to launch a widely followed jazz trio during 1956. After spending ten years supplying the rhythm foundation for Lewis, the two musicians left to pursue a separate venture once the original group achieved its breakthrough pop success with “The ‘In’ Crowd.”

They enlisted pianist Hysear Don Walker and billed themselves the Young-Holt Trio, quickly landing a Top 20 R&B single with the buoyant “Wack Wack.” Across multiple Brunswick albums their recordings typically blended soul and jazz in a manner that bridged Jimmy Smith and Junior Walker, marked by weighty bass, keyboards styled after Ray Charles, understated scat vocals, and the feel of an onstage celebration.

In 1968 Ken Chaney took Walker’s place, prompting Young and Holt to streamline their arrangements, incorporate funkier grooves, and adopt the name Young-Holt Unlimited. Their unexpected breakthrough came with the instrumental “Soulful Strut,” which proved to be the backing track originally laid down for Brunswick soul singer Barbara Acklin’s “Am I the Same Girl.” Although reports suggested the actual Young-Holt musicians had not played on the session, the track reached number three in 1969 on the strength of its bright, unforgettable horn figure.

Further attempts to match that success drew little interest, yet the ensemble continued to draw strong crowds on both the R&B and jazz circuits, occasionally substituting pianist Bobby Lyle for Chaney. Subsequent LPs such as 1972’s Oh Girl for Atlantic and 1973’s Plays Superfly for Paula failed to regain earlier commercial traction, leading to the group’s dissolution in 1974. Young and Holt rejoined Ramsey Lewis in 1983.