Customer Reviews

Legends of Acid Jazz

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4 star:		(1)
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It was a great idea for Prestige to remaster a large number of their jazz albums, but misleading to re-brand them under the series title "legends of Acid Jazz". This is a straight ahead reissue of two albums recorded by Shirley Scott in 1961, namely "Hip Soul" and "Hip Twist". They are a varied bag of material designed to allow Shirley Scott and Stanley Turrentine space to solo within a small group setting.The rhythm sections on the two albums are different, Herb Lewis(Bass) and Roy Brookes(drums) on "Hip Soul" replaced by George Tucker and Otis Finch Jnr respectively on the second. This makes no difference to the overall sound. The selection of tracks is a mixture of standards, favourites and self composed tracks. Favourites are Benny Golson's "411 West", and interesting reworking of Coltrane's (natch) "Trane Blues", Shirley Scott's "Rippin and Runnin'" and her "Violent Blues". Scott, given space on the albums responds well with a varied range of attack, whilst Turrentine is at his best on the slower tracks. An excellent collection to make a start with your Shirley Scott collection...but "Acid Jazz?" I think not!

The organ-tenor combo of Jimmy Smith-Stanley Turrentine recorded a number of terrific albums for Blue Note in the early `60s, but here we have Turrentine with organist Shirley Scott with equally satisfying results. Both Scott and Turrentine are blues-drenched artists, yet their approach is based on a subtlety that builds into a powerful crescendo. They get into a groove on these tracks (from 2 Prestige LPs from 1961) and the listener is pulled in right along with them. Some highlights include the blues march feel to HIP TWIST; the long and slow opening/closing theme statement on OUT OF THIS WORLD that sandwiches a lengthy, wailing, up-tempo improvisational middle section; the superb rendition of Benny Golson's 411WEST; and the slow bluesy-ballad take of AT LAST. But the entire CD is a gas, one of Shirley's best of the many under her name on the Prestige label. Definitely worth purchasing!

These Legends of Acid Jazz are a valuable resource for a
whole stable of musicians. Get one, you will want all of
them. This one features Stanley Turrentine with Shirley,
which, by the way, became husband and wife. A great combo-
nation. Check out her work with Eddie Lockjaw Davis.

This review is in response to the very knowledgeable David Treharne who reviewed this cd first. He obviously knows a lot more about Shirley Scott than I probably ever will [and, I am sure, jazz in general]. The only bone of contention that I have to pick with him is that he says that this cd is not acid jazz. I was taught that there are 2, and only 2 requirements for a piece of music to be considered acid jazz. It must have a jazz foundation and it must be danceable. In my opinion, this release fills both of those requirements...Also, the acid in acid jazz simply refers to the acid that a vinyl lp is made of and I feel fairly certain that both of these albums were originally released on vinyl and that many musicians today are sampling those vinyl editions into their own music. Just because something is straight ahead does not mean that it cannot, also, be acid jazz...Upon reviewing your personal profile I must say you do have excellent tastes in music so I do not hope you mind a little healthy and good natured debate.