Shirley Scott

Shirley Scott - Something - 1970 - Atlantic

Since the late 1950s the late Philadelphia born Shirley Scott is still regarded as the first Lady of the Jazz organ. A brilliant soul/jazz organist and pianist, Shirley is backed on this great album by top rate Jazz musicians, including Eric Gale,and Chuck Rainey. Shirley covers some classic songs which include "Someday We’ll Be Together," George Harrison’s "Something" and Joe South’s "Games People Play". Although Shirley Scott has an extensive back catalogue of recordings, many people have never heard of her! Listen to her "Soul Shoutin'", and "Shirley Scott & the Soul Saxes" albums, which are classic soul jazz albums. N.B: This album has been called "Sure Thing", and "Something". The album is listed as SD-1561 - Sure Thing - Shirley Scott [1970] on the Atlantic Album Discography @ http://www.bsnpubs.com/atlantic/atlantic14648813.html and there are numerous examples of this "mistake" in many record catalogues, and music publications. It's a bit of an enigma. The 1970 vinyl lp on the Atlantic label is definitely entitled "Something", and the George Harrison track on the album would surely point to "Something" being the correct album title. Has anyone any more info on this album?

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Something Harrison 3:28
2 Can I Change My Mind Despenza, Wolfolk 2:57
3 Because Lennon, McCartney 3:46
4 Brand New Me Bell, Butler, Gamble 4:10
5 I Want You Back Gordy, Mizell, Perren , Richards 2:41
6 Games People Play South 3:52
7 Someday We'll Be Together Beavers, Bristol, Fuqua 3:04
8 Messie Bessie Scott 4:18

MUSICIANS

Shirley Scott Organ, Piano, Ondioline
Billy Butler Guitar (Electric)
Eric Gale Guitar (Electric)
Chuck Rainey Bass (Electric)
Jimmy Johnson, Jr. Drums
Ralph MacDonald Conga

BIO

An admirer of the seminal Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott has been one of the organ's most appealing representatives since the late '50s. Scott, a very melodic and accessible player, started out on piano and played trumpet in high school before taking up the Hammond B-3 and enjoying national recognition in the late '50s with her superb Prestige dates with tenor sax great Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Especially popular was their 1958 hit "In the Kitchen." Her reputation was cemented during the '60s on several superb, soulful organ/soul-jazz dates where she demonstrated an aggressive, highly rhythmic attack blending intricate bebop harmonies with bluesy melodies and a gospel influence, punctuating everything with great use of the bass pedals. Scott married soul-jazz tenor man Stanley Turrentine, with whom she often recorded in the '60s. The Scott/Turrentine union lasted until the early '70s, and their musical collaborations in the '60s were among the finest in the field. Scott wasn't as visible the following decade, when the popularity of organ combos decreased and labels were more interested in fusion and pop-jazz (though she did record some albums for Chess/Cadet and Strata East). But organists regained their popularity in the late '80s, which found her recording for Muse. Though known primarily for her organ playing, Scott is also a superb pianist — in the 1990s, she played piano exclusively on some trio recordings for Candid, and embraced the instrument consistently in Philly jazz venues in the early part of the decade. At the end of the '90s, Scott's heart was damaged by the diet drug combination, fen-phen, leading to her declining health. In 2000 she was awarded $8 million in a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the drug. On March 10, 2002 she died of heart failure at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia. © Alex Henderson and Ron Wynn, allmusic.com