Prestige Records: Shirley Scott/Blue Seven

A lot of people revere the Blue Note label, and rightfully so, but I’m a Prestige guy. Aside from being located in New Jersey, my natal state, Bob Weinstock’s record company put out a slew of great music in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Early recordings by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Sonny Rollins; music by older jazz artists on Prestige  Swingsville and older blues artists on Prestige Bluesville; more cutting-edge material by people like Eric Dolphy and  Steve Lacy on New Jazz; and a seemingly endless array of soul jazz—all came from the little giant in Bergenfield, NJ. Weinstock has had his share of detractors, but he wasn’t the only music business figure that sometimes indulged in sharp financial practices. As for the “junkie label” libel, the same could have been said of any independent jazz record label of the day (and the major labels, too). The fact remains that Prestige put out a ton of great jazz and blues that still speaks to us today. For this reason, I’m starting a series of posts about Prestige albums drawn from my ever-expanding stash of CDs and LPs (yup, I’m a Stone Ager for sure).

Today’s pick is Shirley Scott’s Blue Seven. Scott recorded quite a bit with Prestige, often featuring her then-husband Stanley Turrentine.  For this date, she used a quintet featuring Joe Newman on trumpet and Oliver Nelson on tenor. I love Nelson’s playing—it’s too bad he moved more into composing and arranging, but that’s where the money was. To me, his expressive tenor work always conveys a slight, pleasing tinge of melancholy, which fits in with the bluesy tone of this recording. Newman, who was one of the stars of the second Basie band, plays with a seamless blend of bop and swing that made him fit into any setting. The record includes the title track, by Sonny Rollins, an extended workout on Wagon Wheels, no doubt copped from Sonny’s Way Out West album), a nice version of Nancy (with the Laughing Face), and an up-tempo Give me the Simple Life. Scott plays inventively throughout—I need to listen to more of her. George Tucker (bass) and Roy Brooks (drums) provide strong support but don’t get any solo space. 

The verdict: a relaxed date, great for some laid-back listening. I just wish they had done more up-tempo tunes, though—Give me the Simple Life was my favorite track. Enjoy!

Elin — From Sweden to Brazil and Manhattan with Love

A few years ago, I was listening to WBGO—one of Newark, New Jersey’s many gifts to jazz—and heard a song by “Elin.” It had a romantically hypnotic lilt to it, often repeating the word “sweetness” as a kind of grail to seek and find, both universally and personally. I heard it only a couple of times, but it really stayed with me.  Recently, as sometimes happens, Elin suddenly popped into my mind. I found some of her stuff on YouTube, tracked down her web page, and bought her first and so far only album. It turns out she was raised in Sweden, came to the U.S. to go to college, and then learned Portuguese, all the while aiming at a career as a jazz singer.

Elin’s Lazy Afternoon is a spicy stew of jazz and Brazilian music knit together by Elin’s strong multilingual vocals. She does a great job of turning Fascinating Rhythm into the Brazilian song it always should have been, does an especially languorous version of the title tune, and nails songs by Tom Jobim, Dori Caymmi, and Milton Nascimento. The “Sweetness” song turned out to be Sugar, an Elin original, and it still does me in. She also sings a gorgeous version of Billy Strayhorn’s Lush Life. As a bonus, she’s backed by a strong suite of jazz musicians, including Claudio Roditi on trumpet and fluegelhorn, Anat Cohen on clarinet, Harry Allen on tenor, and Hendrick Muerkens on vibes.

To give you a taste of her Portuguese side, here’s Milton Nascimento’s Vera Cruz. Enjoy!