Producer John Simon is best remembered as “the fifth member” of the Band. His skills in arrangement, instrumentation, and engineering (not to mention all-around personal support) are an invaluable part of what makes the first two Band albums classics. Simon’s ingeniousness carried over into his solo debut, which features the Band and several of his other past collaborators, including Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, Delaney Bramlett, and members of Derek & The Dominos. The album is not only reminiscent of the Band’s classic albums, but their Bob Dylan-led precursor, The Basement Tapes. Like those fabled jam sessions, John Simon’s Album triumphs in its blend of warmth, easygoing swing, and joyful eccentricity. Songs like “Tannenbaum,” “Davey’s On the Road Again,” “Motorcycle Man” and “Don’t Forget What I Told You” retain the ramshackle grooves and lovelorn mystery of the Band’s best work. The acoustic “Did You See?” might be the album’s highlight, if only because it is the place when Simon’s froggy voice blends wholly and unreservedly with the mood of his music.