Jack Of Diamonds is the second release in the ongoing “Papa John Phillips Presents” album series, following last year’s acclaimed reissue of his 1970 debut solo album, John, The Wolfking Of L.A..

This second solo album was a major departure from the country-rock of Wolfking and pop sound of The Mamas & The Papas, pushing a more urban, gritty jazzy style (suggestive of later work by Steely Dan) reflective of time spent in New York with members of Andy Warhol’s Factory. One of these songs, “Me & My Uncle” was informally passed along to the Grateful Dead and became a staple of their live shows for decades to come.

The album features a stellar group of musicians from the era, including members of The Crusaders (Wilton Felder, Larry Carlton and Joe Sample), Jim Gordon (Traffic, Derek and the Dominoes), Van Dyke Parks, Alan Estes (The Mothers Of Invention) and Mamas & Papas stalwarts Hal Blaine and Joe Osborn.

Included as bonus tracks are songs from many of the diverse film and record projects John was also working on between 1970 and 1973, including songs intended for the final Mamas & Papas’ studio album, People Like Us, the soundtrack to the Robert Altman film John co-produced with Lou Adler, Brewster McCloud, and an original film and theater project called Space(Man On The Moon), produced by Andy Warhol.

All tracks are previously unreleased, except “Last Of The Unnatural Acts” and “First And Last Thing You Do (Holland Tunnel),” which are from the rare Brewster McCloud soundtrack.