Shirley Scott - Queen Of The Organ: Memorial Album (2003)

Shirley Scott was indeed the Queen of the Organ and this 14-track collection of her work for Prestige, Bluesville, and Moodsville gives ample proof of that fact. The collection covers the years 1958 to 1964 and features her recordings as a leader and as a sideman. Her light and swinging tone at the B-3 made her a perfect foil for the great tenor saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis; three tracks from their fruitful partnership are included, a highlight being the rocking take on Davis' "The Chef." She also teamed up with her husband at the time, Stanley Turrentine, for some sessions in the early '60s, and two tracks -- the rollicking "Soul Shoutin'" and the swinging "Five Spot After Dark" -- are included. She also did sessions backing singers; from those sessions a killer version of "(Night Time Is) The Right Time" by Al Smith and "Person to Person" by Mildred Anderson are included. The rest of the disc is made up of sessions Scott led, and all are first-rate soul-jazz workouts. Of special note are her storming version of "Caravan" and a moody take on Sonny Rollins' "Blue Seven," with a fiery solo by trumpet great Joe Newman. Scott is often overlooked when lists of the great jazz organ players are made. Anyone who listens to her stellar work on this highly enjoyable collection will see just what a mistake that glaring omission is.