April 27, 2020

Hidden Gem: Yusef Lateef and Doug Watkins - "Imagination!"

April 27, 2020/ Eric

This hidden gem of a record was originally released in 1960 as Soulnik and credited to “The Doug Watkins Quintet featuring Yusef Lateef” while this reissue - under a new title - finds the two musicians sharing the leadership mantle now, with Lateef getting the top billing. The decision is not surprising considering Watkins died tragically in a car accident in 1962, with only two releases as a leader, while by 1970 Lateef was a well known figure to the jazz buying public.

January 07, 2019

Leading His Own Way: Booker Ervin - "The Freedom Book"

January 07, 2019/ Eric

These days Booker Ervin is remembered for his association with Charles Mingus, a fruitful period that resulted in some amazing albums, but Ervin also had a great run of solo records on Prestige, the best of which are his “Book” series which began with the release of The Freedom Book in 1964.

April 17, 2017

Out On His Own: John Coltrane - "Soultrane"

April 17, 2017/ Eric

Coltrane and the Red Garland Trio join forces on 1958's Soultrane, beginning a period of rapid musical growth for Trane that would result in him becoming the leading tenor player on the modern jazz scene on his way to cementing his status as a true jazz legend.

November 18, 2016

Country Blues: Mose Allison - "Creek Bank"

November 18, 2016/ Eric

An early Prestige LP from Mose Allison's long career has a couple of his best-known vocal tracks as well as some stellar instrumentals that show off his vast skills as a modern jazz pianist.

May 04, 2016

Long Player: The Modern Jazz Quartet - "Concorde"

May 04, 2016/ Eric

Concorde was not only the Modern Jazz Quartet's debut on the new long-player format, but it was also their first classic album in a long and distinguished career that would produce many more.

February 01, 2016

Plugged-In To The Past: Hampton Hawes - "Northern Windows"

February 01, 2016/ Eric

Hampton Hawes spent 1972 through 1974 recording for Prestige Records where he explored the possibilities that electronic keyboards could provide in a jazz setting. David Axelrod serves as the arranger on the album, adding his unique set of funky skills as an arranger and producer to the proceedings.

July 03, 2015

Milt & Horace Are Some Cool Cats: Milt Jackson - "Milt Jackson Quartet"

July 03, 2015/ Eric

Milt Jackson Quartet features Milt Jackson leading a group that includes two of his cohorts in the Modern Jazz Quartet, with the great Horace Silver sitting in on the piano. Jackson was clearly skilled in this brass-less setting, and the group decided to lay down some cool jazz tracks that epitomize the sound of that movement in the mid-1950s. The tunes are mellow and fluid, with everyone falling into an easy groove that will move even the most uptight jazz fan.

March 04, 2015

Wardell Gray - "Memorial, Volume One"

March 04, 2015/ Eric

I came across this one recently in the Jazz bins at my local record shop, and while I recognized the cover I was not at all familiar with the playing or story of Wardell Gray. My first instinct, and a good one as it turns out, was to check the label and - bingo! - it was a vintage yellow "fireworks" pressing. Whether the music turned out to be worthwhile or otherwise, the label pretty much sold me on picking up the record for the measly asking price of $13, I mean how could I pass up an original mid-1950's Prestige album? As it turns out, a few needle drops on the store's turntable convinced me that this LP was going to be some fun listening, whether it was an original or not.

December 10, 2014

Oliver Nelson - "Nocturne"

December 10, 2014/ The Jazz Record

Oliver Nelson will always be best known for his 1961 masterpiece The Blues And The Abstract Truth on Impulse!, but he also made some excellent records for Prestige in the years just preceding that release. One of the lesser known ones is Nocturne, an LP released on the Moodsville subset of Prestige in 1960.