Shirley Scott

This CD reissue brings back an easy-listening set in which tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine teams up with his then-wife, organist Shirley Scott, in what was probably their last joint recording. The original LP program is joined by "Ain't No Way" from a slightly earlier date with similar personnel. Even on "Blowin' In the Wind," Turrentine's soulful solos uplift the material, while Scott offers light accompaniment and some gospellish ideas of her own; guitarist Jimmy Ponder also has some spots on the quintet set. ~ AllMusic

Al Smith - Hear My Blues (1959) {Prestige–Bluesville OBCCD-514-2 rel 1993}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 206 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 79 Mb
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© 1959, 1993 Prestige / Bluesville / Fantasy | OBCCD-514-2
Blues / Jazz / Soul Blues / West Coast Blues

As a rule, people who appreciate the late Jimmy Witherspoon have a very favorable reaction to Al Smith – that is, if they get a chance to hear him. Neither of the two albums that Smith provided for Bluesville (Hear My Blues in 1959 and Midnight Special in 1960) are well-known. While Witherspoon was a big name in the blues world, Smith was a gospel singer who dabbled in secular music. But when Smith did venture outside the gospel realm, his approach was quite comparable to Witherspoon's – like Witherspoon, he favored a jazz-influenced approach to blues and R&B.

Lockjaw Davis, Tate, Hawkins, Cobb - Very Saxy (1959) {2008 Prestige RVG Remasters Series}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 293 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 93 Mb
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© 1959, 2008 Concord / Prestige | PRCD-30649 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Bop / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz

Tenor saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and his quartet (which includes organist Shirley Scott, bassist George Duvivier and drummer Arthur Edgehill) welcome three immortal tenors (Coleman Hawkins, Arnett Cobb and Buddy Tate) to what became a historic and hard-swinging jam session. On three blues, an original based on the chord changes of "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Lester Leaps In," the four tenors battle it out and the results are quite exciting. The spirited music on this memorable LP will hopefully be reissued on CD eventually, for the performances live up to their great potential.

Mildred Anderson - Person To Person (1960) {Prestige-Bluesville OBCCD-556-2 rel 1993}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 190 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 73 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 18 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1960, 1993 Prestige-Bluesville Records / Fantasy | OBCCD-556-2
Jazz / Bop / Vocal Jazz

Mildred Anderson, who recorded with organist Bill Doggett as early as 1953, only made two albums as a leader and, although thought of as as being in the R&B/blues field, both records have some notable jazz players supporting her. For this CD reissue, Anderson is joined by tenor-saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, organist Shirley Scott, bassist George Duvivier and drummer Arthur Edgehill for such songs as "Hello Little Boy," "Person to Person" and "Kidney Stew Blues" (the latter two tunes were associated with Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson). Despite being rather brief (just 31 minutes), this set is worth checking out if quite obscure.

Oliver Nelson - The Argo, Verve and Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions (1962-67) {6CD Box Set Mosaic MD6-233 rel 2006}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 2.57 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 944 Mb
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© 1962-67, 2006 Mosaic Records / UMG | MD6-233
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Big Band

Oliver Nelson was one of the more distinctive arrangers to be active in jazz, the studios, and popular music of the '60s. While most Nelson reissues focus on his always-excellent saxophone playing (whether on tenor or alto), this six-CD set, Argo, Verve and Impulse Big Band Studio Sessions, focuses on Oliver Nelson the arranger-composer-bandleader. He does take solos on some of these dates on tenor, alto,and soprano (his only recorded solos on that instrument), but it his writing that takes center stage.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary jazz label, Impulse! Records – home to such pioneering jazz artists as John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Pharoah Sanders, Quincy Jones, and more. On May 14, as a centerpiece to its year-long celebrations, the imprint taking a look back at its first decade with the release of Impulse Records: Music, Message & The Moment – a deluxe, 4-LP box set. Housed in a museum drop-front box set, Impulse Records: Music, Message & The Moment speaks to the political, social, and spiritual elements that were omnipresent in the 60s – when Impulse! and its artists were at their creative heights. In a decade marked by protests, racial and social unrest, and the dismantling of institutions, jazz was an integral part of exploring Black identity and pushing cultural and political boundaries.