Four Classic Albums (Great Scott / Like Cozy / Hip Soul / Happy Talk) [Remastered]

by Thom JurekJazz organist Shirley Scott is the subject of the 2001 Fantasy "two-fer" reissue project of its Prestige and Moodsville titles from the '60s. This disc contains the illustrious Ms. Scott's organ stylings on two albums both recorded within a month of one another in 1960. The first is the Shirley Scott trio, issued as Moodsville 5, and Like Cozy, released as Moodsville 19. Both albums are complete here and feature the talents of bassist George Duvivier and drummer Arthur Edgehill. And, breaking with her tradition of playing the B-3, Scott plays piano on two cuts from each disc. On these cuts the bassist George Tucker replaced Duvivier. The groove of these recordings is what we've come to expect from Ms. Scott, late-night smooth groove that was heavy on ballads, medium bounce standards, and melodic interplay between leader and sidemen -- a trademark specialty of the label. Scott's piano playing is elegant and reminiscent of both Errol Garner's and Billy Taylor's. She has Garner's ornate sense of style, and Taylor's medium touch and sparse phrasing. A listen to "I Thought I'd Let You Know" and "Spring Is Here," one a ballad and the other a bounce, offers Scott's dimensions and inventions as a pianist. The rest of the disc, where Scott resumes her organist's duties, is a pretty and restrained affair, with just enough funk to keep the listener in the groove -- and it's all groove: smooth, slow, and slippery. Tracks such as "'Deed I Do," "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You?," and "Lover Man" all hold the blues firmly in their grasp as Scott extrapolates on the changes with a subtle but defined harmonic invention. There are no stunners here, but there weren't meant to be. These records were designed for the late-night-after-the-club feel, and they work that way. Like Ben Webster's Ballads or With Strings, these recordings are soundtracks for midnight rendezvous or early in the morning trysts with a loved one. And for that purpose, The Shirley Scott Trio and Like Cozy are indispensable "listening."