Four Classic Albums

The four albums compiled here are all Prestige dates that feature the great Hammond B-3 organist Shirley Scott as she emerged from Eddie Lockjaw Davis' band into a solo career. Great Scott!, her first offering from 1958, finds her in the company of bassist George Duvivier and drummer Arthur Edgehill. Musically it combines jazz, blues, and even early soul in a selection of blues, ballads, bossa, and Latin-tinged numbers. It includes a single original, "The Scott." Like Cozy was cut in 1960, and furthers her command of the instrument's ranges of swoops, stops, and funky rhythmic possibilities. That said, her readings of the ballad "Little Girl Blue" and the standard "Indeed I Do" are among its finest moments. Hip Soul from 1961 is a duet album with "Stan Turner" aka her husband, saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, who was signed to Blue Note at the time. Thoroughly fascinating throughout, it features a moody, lengthy, gloriously modal version of Harold Arlen's" Out of This World," which was deeply influenced by Miles Davis' Kind of Blue, and a deeply funky "Stan's Tune," which is the only real nod -- at least early in her career -- where Scott overtly references Jimmy Smith. The final album is Happy Talk, later reissued as Sweet Soul. Here Scott resumes her trio setting with grooving Detroit drum master Roy Brooks and bassist Earl May. While all the tunes are standards, Scott mixes up blues, funky soul, and hard bop in a signature stew. Highlights include a fantastic reading of "Jitterbug Waltz," the title cut, and "My Romance." Though the price is certainly right in this set, the consumer should keep in mind two things: first is, these are not sourced from original analog tapes, but from rather dubious origins -- either LPs or in some cases even MP3s -- so the quality of these "remasters" is dodgy. Secondly, U.K. copyright law is different than that of Scott's native United States -- everything becomes public domain after 50 years, so the artist's estate gets nothing in terms of remuneration for sales. You get what you pay for. ~ Thom Jurek