Jessica Williams Nothin’ But The Truth

Teddy Edwards - Nothin' But The Truth (1966) {Prestige OJCCD-813-2 rel 1994}
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© 1966, 1994 Prestige / Fantasy | OJCCD-813-2
Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / West Coast Jazz / Saxophone

Great stuff – and one of the groovier Teddy Edwards sessions from the 60s! The group's a sextet – with Walter Davis piano, Paul Chambers bass, Billy Higgins drums, Phil Orlando guitar, and Montego Joe on congas and bongos. The band grooves in a soul jazz vamping mode – darkly tinged, with a bit of that Blue Note style of expression – and over the top. Edwards plays some wonderful solos, raspy in tone, with a nice edge to his tenor, slurred out in some gutbuckety playing that's very much in the pocket!

Following the release of their latest studio album Versions Of The Truth in September 2020, the band were preparing to start the album’s live campaign, when like so many other artists their plans were put on hold by the continuing global pandemic.

Williams was one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, but she was also a victim of geography. Her technical brilliance, complete control of the piano, creative imagination, wit, and constant desire to stretch herself put her at the top of her field although relatively few (beyond her fellow pianists) seemed to realize it during her lifetime.

Jessica Williams, although hardly a household name, is actually one of the finest jazz pianists of the 1990s and her Hep CD gives listeners ample proof. She does a brilliant imitation of Thelonious Monk on the first half of "Easter Parade" (before displaying her own strong musical personality), not only capturing Monk's unique chord patterns but his touch and his wit. Throughout the rest of her colorful solo set, Williams also hints at Art Tatum and Lennie Tristano and yet comes across as a true original. Her creative interpretations of such standards as "Taking a Chance on Love," "Like Someone in Love" and a medium-tempo "I Got It Bad" are quite memorable and full of more than their share of surprises including some funny quotes from other songs. The polyrhythms on "Bongo's Waltz" are worthy of Dave Brubeck, whose tender "I Didn't Know Till You Told Me" Williams also revives.

Nothin' but the Taillights is the seventh studio album by country singer Clint Black. Black co-wrote many of the songs with others and played much of the guitar himself for this album…

"Jon Irabagon releases the latest installment of his I Don't Hear Nothin' but the Blues series, adding rising star Ava Mendoza to his no-frills, brutal ensemble.

BGO Records continues its series of two-fer CD reissues of Johnny Winter's Columbia and Blue Sky LPs with this combination of two successive albums, 1977's Nothin' But the Blues and 1978's White, Hot & Blue. Both discs were informed by Winter's involvement with Muddy Waters, for whom he produced comeback albums prior to each of his own efforts, 1977's Hard Again and 1978's I'm Ready. After the Grammy-winning Hard Again, Winter toured with Waters, and when he came to make Nothin' But the Blues, he recruited Waters and his band as sidemen. (Waters only made a vocal contribution, singing "Walking Thru the Park.") Thus, Winter performed with harmonica player James Cotton and pianist Pinetop Perkins, among others…

A veteran of the old Beale Street scene and once a partner of the legendary Memphis Slim, Laury never got his shot at fame and fortune, or even the opportunity to cut a record. Now, approaching his 80th birthday, Laury finally made his debut and shows on this rollicking, highly delightful CD that his boisterous voice and piano skills remain in good shape. Every number is an original, as Laury opens the session with some uncensored remembrances about old Southern sanitary habits. From there, you get terse, spirited singing, powerful left and right hand piano lines, and a percussive, pounding attack that features octave-jumping forays and furious phrasing. One record can't correct a lifetime of being unfairly overlooked, but it can go a long way.