Shirley Scott

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

On the bus into Cardiff this morning, I was listening to this and I thought, “about time there was a shout-out for Shirl.” There are a couple of threads on individual albums but nothing relating to her generally. So here we are.

I reckon Shirley is one of the important innovators, and a reminder that innovation can be fairly conservative. It was her recordings with Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis that popularised the tenor/organ combo. And where would all that greasiness be without tenor/organ combos? Starting in 1956 for King, then Roost/Roulette and on to Prestige in 1958, Shirley and Jaws created that genre, which was fully set with the fabulous and successful “Cookbooks”.

Jaws had tried this before; in 1951, he’d recorded for Roost with Bill Doggett, Billy Taylor and Eddie Bonnemere. And he’d worked with Doc Bagby in the mid-fifties. But it wasn’t until he teamed up with Shirley that they were able to put it all together.

There are several interesting things about Shirley. One is that her style isn’t based on Jimmy Smith, though she, Jimmy Smith and Johnny “Hammond” Smith were all woodshedding at the same time in Philadelphia and I expect some of this was mutual. Shirley relies more on Wild Bill Davis’ approach, but what sounds to me a lot lighter. I don’t find her an exciting organist, in the way Jimmy and Lonnie Smith are. But she’s very, very solid. In fact, no one played like Shirley. It would be nice to hear from some of the organists on her approach.

Also, no one accompanied like Shirley. Listening to her working with Stanley, I’m struck by how comfortable she made him feel; and yet she was pushing and prodding the whole time. (Just like MY wife. No, that’s not what I mean.) You know what I mean. It’s a very full accompaniment you get with Shirley; much fuller than other organists, I feel. Oddly, almost all her recordings were made with bass players.

I’ve got quite a lot of Shirley’s albums, though nowhere near her whole discography, which is here

http://www.dougpayne.com/shirley1.htm

Most of what I’ve got is material she co-led with Jaws or Stanley, though I have got a few without tenor payers. The one I think is most unusual is “Drag ‘em out”, Prestige 7305, with Roy Brooks and Major Holley, which hasn’t been reissued on CD. Shirley does something on that that I’ve never heard any other organist try; a long, slow blues, taking up the whole of one side, with neither guitar nor sax (though Holley does have a typically charming couple of bowed choruses halfway through). Shirley has to carry that pretty well by herself and she really maintains my interest; oh yes, Shirley could really preach the blues.

MG

[Hot Ptah]

I’m struck by how comfortable she made him feel; and yet she was pushing and prodding the whole time. (Just like MY wife. No, that’s not what I mean.) You know what I mean.

MG

Too much information, MG!

[ghost of miles]

Queen of the Organ

[Soul Stream]

Shirley was certainly one of only a handful of legends of jazz organ. Her legacy is undeniable. Larry Goldings counts her as perhaps his biggest influence initially, and through Larry and those in the same stylistic bag...her style of organ is alive and well. Without her, modern organ playing just wouldn't have gone in the direction it has.

[king ubu]

I picked up several CDs of hers in recent years and they've all been good: Trio Classics, Vol. 1 (a twofer of "Great Scott" and "Shirley's Sounds"), Like Cozy (a twofer of the album of the same title and "The Shirley Scott Trio", both on Moodsville), also her "Legends of Acid Jazz" with Turrentine is very fine. Then there's the Impulse "QUeen of the Organ" and the Blue Notes with Stanley T. ("Hustlin'"!)... she's easily one of my favourite organists!

[JSngry]

[mikeweil]

Same here - it was the Impulse albums "In a Latin Shadow" and "On a Clear Day" that impressed me the most - relaxed, confident, a style completely her own, mature, full of ideas, swing, roots-based - what else can you ask for? Since I heard those she ranks among the top ten jazz organists of all time for me.

[king ubu]

Oh yes, "On a Clear Day" is great!

[Soul Stream]

yeah...her crowning achievement.

[alocispepraluger102]

has any organist been so graceful and lyrical and swung so effortlessly?

i probably only know of a dozen or so jazz organists, so my knowledge is very limited.

however, i wish she would have made her career at the piano. i cant hear enough of her beautiful swinging touch. hearing shirley pianize embraceable you is a sumptuous delight.

Edited February 19, 2007 by alocispepraluger102

[randissimo]

Shirley was not only a nice person but truly a great musician, organ player, and organ tech. She really knew the instrument inside and out... When I did the "Heart Of The Forrest" gig with Shirley Scott and Jimmy Forrest in 1978 she really blew our minds! We all got together in the afternoon at the nightclub to load in and rehearse our show. The B3 and leslie that was furnished had serious issues, and was badly in need of a tune up. There were broken wires and the organ hadn't been oiled in quite some time.. Shirley spent hours in that organ with a light and a soldering gun, oiling the organ, adjusting the leslie, and adjusting the pedals so it was playable, so we took a long break and had only time for a short rehearsal before the doors opened..

When we started playing that organ sounded sweet .. It was a great night of music and was originally released on the Palo Alto label and has since been re-issued on CD.

Edited February 19, 2007 by randissimo

[Soul Stream]

Wow, that's another thing you really find with the old timers. They KNOW that instrument inside and out. How to fix them and make them sound great in a relatively short amount of time. I wish I knew some of the little tricks they knew. I heard Jimmy McGriff did the same thing with the house organ at Antone's years ago before he played. Everyone said he made that organ sound great after whatever he did to it before the gig.

Yeah, must have been great to play with her Randy. Contact with musicians like that really changes your mindset and attitude about playing music and the everyday problems they overcame to make it happen.

Thanks for the story.

[randissimo]

Wow, that's another thing you really find with the old timers. They KNOW that instrument inside and out. How to fix them and make them sound great in a relatively short amount of time. I wish I knew some of the little tricks they knew. I heard Jimmy McGriff did the same thing with the house organ at Antone's years ago before he played. Everyone said he made that organ sound great after whatever he did to it before the gig.

Yeah, must have been great to play with her Randy. Contact with musicians like that really changes your mindset and attitude about playing music and the everyday problems they overcame to make it happen.

Thanks for the story.

I had a ball playin' that gig.. By the way, the "Heart Of The Forest" CD is available on the Muse label...

[ghost of miles]

Wow, that's another thing you really find with the old timers. They KNOW that instrument inside and out. How to fix them and make them sound great in a relatively short amount of time. I wish I knew some of the little tricks they knew. I heard Jimmy McGriff did the same thing with the house organ at Antone's years ago before he played. Everyone said he made that organ sound great after whatever he did to it before the gig.

Yeah, must have been great to play with her Randy. Contact with musicians like that really changes your mindset and attitude about playing music and the everyday problems they overcame to make it happen.

Thanks for the story.

I had a ball playin' that gig.. By the way, the "Heart Of The Forest" CD is available on the Muse label...

Hey, we have a copy of that in the station library--just pulled it & will listen to it later this week. Thanks for the tip, Randy.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Shirley was not only a nice person but truly a great musician, organ player, and organ tech. She really knew the instrument inside and out... When I did the "Heart Of The Forrest" gig with Shirley Scott and Jimmy Forrest in 1978 she really blew our minds! We all got together in the afternoon at the nightclub to load in and rehearse our show. The B3 and leslie that was furnished had serious issues, and was badly in need of a tune up. There were broken wires and the organ hadn't been oiled in quite some time.. Shirley spent hours in that organ with a light and a soldering gun, oiling the organ, adjusting the leslie, and adjusting the pedals so it was playable, so we took a long break and had only time for a short rehearsal before the doors opened..

When we started playing that organ sounded sweet .. It was a great night of music and was originally released on the Palo Alto label and has since been re-issued on CD.

I never knew that was you! Lovely album. Well done.

Great story, too.

Gloria Coleman greatly impressed me as a highly competent person all round. I rather suspect B3 organists have to be.

MG

[LAL]

Shot Mosaic an e-mail on an Impulse set and got the following reply:

"Yeah, we've been playing with this onw ourselves!"

Wonder what that means...

[Kyo]

When we started playing that organ sounded sweet .. It was a great night of music and was originally released on the Palo Alto label and has since been re-issued on CD.

Thanks for sharing that story! I just ordered the disc, sounds interesting.

I'm not really familiar with Jimmy Forrest's playing but I love your drumming with

Organissimo and Shirley Scott is one of my favorite organists, so this should be good!

[Kyo]

Shot Mosaic an e-mail on an Impulse set and got the following reply:

"Yeah, we've been playing with this onw ourselves!"

Wonder what that means...

That would be nice! I have Stanley Turrentine's Let It Go (which includes a few tracks from a Shirley

Scott solo album) and Queen of the Organ but there's a lot more that has yet to be released on CD.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Shot Mosaic an e-mail on an Impulse set and got the following reply:

"Yeah, we've been playing with this onw ourselves!"

Wonder what that means...

That would be nice! I have Stanley Turrentine's Let It Go (which includes a few tracks from a Shirley

Scott solo album) and Queen of the Organ but there's a lot more that has yet to be released on CD.

I found yesterday that quite a few of her Impulse albums have been released on CD in Japan.

MG

[ghost of miles]

A handful of tracks show up on the Oliver Nelson Mosaic... I think they were also issued on the now-OOP Roll 'Em.

[Shrdlu]

Another one who sounds great every time I hear a performance!

Recently been digging "Latin Shadows", arr. by Gary McFarland. That's a very tasty LP.

As I'm a big Turrentine fan (who isn't?), I have her recordings with Stanley. "Common Touch" is a real groove - I play it over and over, especially "Lonely Avenue", but it's all fantastic. The CD comes with a long bonus track, "Ain't No Way", from a session that seems to have produced nothing else. The CD is its proper home, now.

[ghost of miles]

Shrdlu! Where on earth have you been? I was wondering where you'd gone just a few weeks ago...good to see you back & posting again.

[Shrdlu]

Thx, Dude! Stay cool!

[Guy Berger]

Shrdlu! Where on earth have you been? I was wondering where you'd gone just a few weeks ago...good to see you back & posting again.

Definitely. Good to have you back, Shrdlu.

Guy

[Soul Stream]

Another one who sounds great every time I hear a performance!

Recently been digging "Latin Shadows", arr. by Gary McFarland. That's a very tasty LP.

As I'm a big Turrentine fan (who isn't?), I have her recordings with Stanley. "Common Touch" is a real groove - I play it over and over, especially "Lonely Avenue", but it's all fantastic. The CD comes with a long bonus track, "Ain't No Way", from a session that seems to have produced nothing else. The CD is its proper home, now.

Yeah, that CD is one of the all time great organ/tenor boogaloo records! Bob Cranshaw is killing on bass on that session. Who in the hell thought "Blowin' in the Wind" could be swung to death like that!