3 + 3

The arithmetic of 3 + 3 identifies a band taking fuller shape. Ronald Isley’s lead singing shares the spotlight with Ernie’s guitar, Marvin’s bass and Chris Jasper’s keyboards. Reworking an older Isley song and arranging other writers’ material become complementary ways to define that expanded identity.

The three established members, Ronald, Rudolph and O’Kelly, are joined in the title by Ernie, Marvin and Chris. The younger musicians had already contributed to earlier records; official membership did not mean their first involvement in 1973. The album makes that instrumental partnership central to the group’s public identity. Recorded at the Record Plant in Los Angeles with engineers Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff, its original nine tracks place four outside songs among Isley compositions. Interpretation and playing are therefore essential to the programme, alongside songwriting.

Revisiting their own catalogue

That Lady remakes a song the group had recorded in 1964. Ernie’s extended guitar part changes its proportions, and the album joins both parts in a performance lasting about five and a half minutes. This opening makes the new formation audible through familiar material. It presents the musicians inside a song rather than pausing to introduce them separately.

Four songs from elsewhere

James Taylor’s Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, the Doobie Brothers’ Listen to the Music, Jonathan Edwards’s Sunshine and Seals and Crofts’ Summer Breeze broaden the repertoire. They occupy different places in the sequence rather than forming a separate covers section. Summer Breeze expands beyond six minutes, making instrumental expression a substantial part of the interpretation.

More than a guitar showcase

Jasper’s piano, electric piano and clavinet, together with Marvin’s bass, help explain the album’s ensemble character. Shorter selections such as If You Were There and You Walk Your Way also contribute to its range. The original programme closes with The Highways of My Life. Continuing beyond the opening hit reveals a working band able to bring its own sound to both original songs and borrowed compositions.