Shirley Scott (March 14, 1934 – March 10, 2002) was an American jazz organist. Her music was noted for its mixture of
bebop
Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumen ...
,
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
and
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
elements. She was known by the nickname "Queen of the Organ".
Life and career
Scott was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father operated a jazz club in the basement of the family home and her brother played Saxophone. At the age of eight, Scott began piano lessons. After enrolling at
Philadelphia High School for Girls
The Philadelphia High School for Girls, also known as Girls' High, is a public college preparatory magnet high school for girls in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As its name suggests, the school's enrollment is all female.
Established in 1848, it ...
, where she was awarded a scholarship, Scott switched to trumpet and played in the all-city schools band.
She studied for bachelor and master's degrees at
Cheyney University
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is a public historically black university in Cheyney, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1837, it is the oldest university out of all historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States. It is a mem ...
. Later in life Scott would return to the university as a teacher.
As a performer in the 1950s, she played the
Hammond B-3 organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...
. Her recordings with
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Edward F. Davis (March 2, 1922 – November 3, 1986), known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" (later shortened in "Jaws"): it is either said that ...
included the hit "In the Kitchen". Influenced by gospel and blues, she played
soul jazz
Soul jazz or funky jazz is a subgenre of jazz that incorporates strong influences from hard bop, blues, soul, gospel and rhythm and blues. Soul jazz is often characterized by organ trios featuring the Hammond organ and small combos including ten ...
in the 1960s with
Stanley Turrentine
Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion dur ...
, who became her husband during the same decade; the couple divorced in 1971.
Although organ trios declined in popularity during the 1970s, they resurged in the 1980s and she recorded again. In the 1990s, she recorded as pianist in a trio and performed at venues in Philadelphia.
Scott won an $8 million settlement in 2000 against
American Home Products
Wyeth, LLC was an American pharmaceutical company. The company was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1860 as ''John Wyeth and Brother''. It was later known, in the early 1930s, as American Home Products, before being renamed to Wyeth i ...
, the manufacturers of the diet drug
fen-phen
The drug combination fenfluramine/phentermine, usually called fen-phen, was an anti-obesity treatment in the early 1990s that utilized two anorectics. Fenfluramine was marketed by American Home Products (later known as Wyeth) as ''Pondimin'', bu ...
. She died of heart failure in 2002.'Organ queen' Shirley Scott dies". March 13, 2002. ''
New Pittsburgh Courier
The ''New Pittsburgh Courier'' is a weekly African-American newspaper based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is owned by Real Times.
The newspaper is named after the original ''Pittsburgh Courier
The ''Pittsburgh Courier'' was ...
''.
Discography
As leader
* 1958: ''
Great Scott!
"Great Scott!" is an interjection of surprise, amazement, or dismay. It is a distinctive but inoffensive exclamation, popular in the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, and now considered dated.
It originated as a minc ...
'' (
Prestige
Prestige refers to a good reputation or high esteem; in earlier usage, ''prestige'' meant "showiness". (19th c.)
Prestige may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Films
* ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnet ...
Scottie Plays the Duke
''Scottie Plays the Duke'' is the third album by organist Shirley Scott released with the Prestige label.Payne, DShirley Scott discographyaccessed June 28, 2012
Reception
The Allmusic review stated "This is a collection of Duke Ellington tunes ...
Shirley's Sounds
''Shirley's Sounds'' is a studio album by organist Shirley Scott recorded mainly in 1958 for Prestige Records, Prestige but not released until 1961 as PRLP 7195.
Reception
The contemporaneous ''DownBeat'' reviewer, Leonard Feather, praised the pl ...
'' (Prestige) - released 1961
* 1958–60: ''
The Shirley Scott Trio
''The Shirley Scott Trio'' (also referred to as ''Moodsville Volume 5'') is an album by organist Shirley Scott recorded in 1960 and released on the Moodsville label.Payne, DSCOTT TRIO Shirley Scott discographyaccessed July 2, 2012 The album fea ...
'' (Moodsville)
* 1960: '' Soul Sister'' (Prestige) - with
Lem Winchester
Lem Winchester (March 19, 1928 – January 13, 1961) was an American jazz vibraphone player.
Early life
Lemuel Winchester was born in Wilmington, Delaware. His parents were politician William J. Winchester and Alverta Winchester.
Career
Formerl ...
; released 1966
* 1960: ''
Mucho, Mucho
''Mucho, Mucho'' is a Latin-oriented jazz album by organist Shirley Scott recorded and released in 1960 on Prestige Records as PRLP 7182.
Track listing
#"The Lady Is a Tramp" (Hart, Rodgers) - 9:41
#"Muy Azul" (Scott) - 7:27
#"I Get a Kick Ou ...
'' (Prestige) - with The Latin Jazz Quintet
* 1960: ''
Like Cozy
''Like Cozy'' is an album by organist Shirley Scott recorded in 1960 and released on the Prestige Records, Moodsville label.Payne, DCOZY Shirley Scott discographyaccessed July 2, 2012
Reception
The Allmusic review stated "The groove of the record ...
'' (Moodsville) - released 1962
* 1961: ''
Satin Doll
"Satin Doll" is a jazz standard written by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Written in 1953, the song has been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, 101 Strings, Terry Callier, and Nancy Wilson. Its chord progressio ...
'' (Prestige) - released 1963
* 1958–61: '' Workin''' (Prestige) - released 1967
* 1960–61: '' Stompin''' (Prestige) - released 1967
* 1961: ''
Hip Soul
''Hip Soul'' is a studio album by organist Shirley Scott recorded in 1961 for Prestige and released the same year as PRLP 7205.
Track listing
#"Hip Soul" (Turrentine) - 6:31
#"411 West" ( Golson) - 6:33
#"By Myself" ( Dietz, Schwartz) - 5:5 ...
'' (Prestige) - with Stanley Turrentine
* 1961: '' Blue Seven'' (Prestige) - with
Oliver Nelson
Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album '' The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...
, Joe Newman; released 1966
* 1961: ''
Hip Twist
''Hip Twist'' is an album by organist Shirley Scott featuring saxophonist Stanley Turrentine which was recorded in 1961 and released on the Prestige Records, Prestige label.Payne, DShirley Scott discographyaccessed June 29, 2012
Reception
The Al ...
'' (Prestige) - with Stanley Turrentine
* 1961: ''
Shirley Scott Plays Horace Silver
''Shirley Scott Plays Horace Silver'' is an album by organist Shirley Scott featuring compositions by Horace Silver which was recorded in 1961 and released on the Prestige label.Payne, DShirley Scott discographyaccessed June 29, 2012
Reception ...
'' (Prestige)
* 1962: '' Happy Talk'' (Prestige) - also released as ''Sweet Soul'' in 1965.
* 1963: '' The Soul Is Willing'' (Prestige) - with
Stanley Turrentine
Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion dur ...
For Members Only
''For Members Only'' is an album by American jazz organist Shirley Scott recorded in 1963 for the Impulse! label.Impulse!
Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record company and label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positiv ...
) - with Oliver Nelson
* 1963: '' Soul Shoutin''' (Prestige) - with Stanley Turrentine
* 1964: '' Travelin' Light'' (Prestige) - with
Kenny Burrell
Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...
* 1958–64: '' Now's the Time'' (Prestige) - released 1967
* 1964: '' Blue Flames'' (Prestige) - with Stanley Turrentine
* 1964: '' Great Scott!!'' (Impulse!) - with Oliver Nelson
* 1964: ''
Everybody Loves a Lover
"Everybody Loves a Lover" is a popular song which was a hit single for Doris Day in 1958. Its lyricist, Richard Adler, and its composer, Robert Allen, were both best known for collaborations with other partners. The music Allen composed, aside ...
'' (Impulse!) - with Stanley Turrentine
* 1964: ''
Queen of the Organ
''Queen of the Organ'' is a live album by American jazz organist Shirley Scott, recorded in 1964 for the Impulse! label.
'' ive(Impulse!) - with Stanley Turrentine
* 1965: '' Latin Shadows'' (Impulse!) - with
Gary McFarland
Gary Robert McFarland (October 23, 1933 – November 3, 1971) was an American composer, arranger, vibraphonist and vocalist. He recorded for the jazz imprints Verve and Impulse! Records during the 1960s. '' Down Beat magazine'' said he made "one ...
Soul Duo
''Soul Duo'' is an album by American jazz organist Shirley Scott and flugelhornist Clark Terry recorded in 1966 for the Impulse! Records, Impulse! label.
'' (Impulse!) - with
Clark Terry
Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator.
He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948–51), Duke ...
Soul Song
“Soul Song” is a song written by George Richey, Billy Sherrill and Norro Wilson and first recorded by Tanya Tucker as a track for her 1972 debut album Delta Dawn.
Background
The song also represented a first for co-writer Norro Wilson: a No. ...
'' (
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
) - with Stanley Turrentine
* 1969: ''
Shirley Scott & the Soul Saxes
''Shirley Scott & the Soul Saxes'' is an album by organist Shirley Scott recorded in 1969 and released on the Atlantic label.Payne, DShirley Scott discographyaccessed July 4, 2012
Reception
The Allmusic site awarded the album 4½ stars stating " ...
'' (Atlantic) - with
King Curtis
Curtis Ousley (born Curtis Montgomery; February 7, 1934 – August 13, 1971), known professionally as King Curtis, was an American saxophonist who played rhythm and blues, jazz, and rock and roll. A bandleader, band member, and session musicia ...
,
Hank Crawford
Bennie Ross "Hank" Crawford, Jr. (December 21, 1934 – January 29, 2009) was an American Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist, arranger and songwriter whose genres ranged from Rhythm and blues, R&B, hard bop, jazz-funk, and soul jazz. Crawford was ...
,
David "Fathead" Newman
David "Fathead" Newman (February 24, 1933 – January 20, 2009) was an American jazz and rhythm-and-blues saxophonist, who made numerous recordings as a session musician and leader, but is best known for his work as a sideman on seminal 1950s and ...
* 1970: ''
Something
Something may refer to:
Philosophy and language
*Something (concept)
*Something, an English indefinite pronoun
Music
Albums
* ''Something'' (Chairlift album), 2012
* ''Something'' (Shirley Bassey album), 1970
* ''Something'' (Shirley Scott ...
Cadet
A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...
Superstition
A superstition is any belief or practice considered by non-practitioners to be irrational or supernatural, attributed to fate or magic, perceived supernatural influence, or fear of that which is unknown. It is commonly applied to beliefs and ...
One for Me
''One for Me'' is an album by organist Shirley Scott recorded in 1974 and released on the Strata-East Records, Strata-East label.Payne, DShirley Scott discographyaccessed July 4, 2012
Reception
The Allmusic site awarded the album 3 stars stating ...
Harold Vick
Harold Vick (April 3, 1936 – November 13, 1987) was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist.
Biography
Harold Vick was born on April 3, 1936 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. At the age of 13 he was given a clarinet by his uncle, Prince Robin ...
,
Billy Higgins
Billy Higgins (October 11, 1936 – May 3, 2001) was an American jazz drummer. He played mainly free jazz and hard bop.
Biography
Higgins was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. Higgins played on Ornette Coleman's first records, be ...
* 1978: ''The Great Live Sessions'' (ABC/Impulse!) LP- with Stanley Turrentine; recorded 1964
* 1989: ''
Oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.”
The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
'' (
Muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
)
* 1991: ''
Great Scott!
"Great Scott!" is an interjection of surprise, amazement, or dismay. It is a distinctive but inoffensive exclamation, popular in the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, and now considered dated.
It originated as a minc ...
Skylark
''Alauda'' is a genus of larks found across much of Europe, Asia and in the mountains of north Africa, and one of the species (the Raso lark) endemic to the islet of Raso in the Cape Verde Islands. Further, at least two additional species are ...
Terell Stafford
Terell Stafford (born November 25, 1966) is a professional jazz trumpet player and current Director of Jazz Studies at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University.
Terell Stafford was born in Miami, Florida, and raised in both Chi ...
, Tim Warfield
LP/CD compilations
* 1969: ''The Best of Shirley Scott With Stanley Turrentine'' (Prestige PR 7707)
* 1970: ''The Best of Shirley Scott With Stanley Turrentine/For Beautiful People'' (Prestige PR 7773)
* 1993: ''Workin' '' (Prestige) (compilation of ''Workin' '' + ''Stompin' '')
* 1994: ''Soul Shoutin' '' (Prestige) (compilation of ''The Soul Is Willing'' + ''Soul Shoutin' '')
* 1998: ''Legends of Acid Jazz: Shirley Scott'' (Prestige) (compilation of ''Hip Soul'' + ''Hip Twist'')
* 1998: ''Stanley Turrentine & Shirley Scott: Priceless Jazz'' (GRP) (includes 3 tracks from Scott's ''Queen of the Organ'' and 5 tracks from Turrentine's ''Let It Go'', both originally on Impulse!)
* 1999: ''Soul Sister'' (Prestige) (compilation of ''Soul Sister'' + ''Travelin' Light'')
* 2001: ''Like Cozy'' (Prestige) (compilation of ''The Shirley Scott Trio'' + ''Like Cozy'')
* 2001: ''Shirley Scott: Talkin' Verve'' (Verve) (includes tracks from 9 albums: Impulse! AS-9051/AS-9067/AS-9073/AS-9093/AS-9115/AS-9119/AS-9133/AS-9141 and Cadet CA-50009)
* 2003: ''Shirley Scott Memorial Album (1958–1964)'' (Prestige)
* 2004: ''Trio Classics, Vol. 1'' (Prestige) (compilation of ''Great Scott!'' + ''Shirley's Sounds'')
As sidewoman
With
Stanley Turrentine
Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion dur ...
Blue Note
In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical co ...
A Chip Off the Old Block
''A Chip Off the Old Block'' (Traditional Chinese: 巴不得爸爸...) is a 2009 TVB television drama from Hong Kong produced and created by Poon Ka Tak. The original broadcast was on the TVB Jade with approximately 45-minute-long episodes airi ...
'' (Blue Note)
* 1964: ''
Hustlin'
"Hustlin' is the debut single by American rapper Rick Ross, and the first single from his debut album ''Port of Miami'', produced by The Runners.
The song was a breakthrough for Ross, and skyrocketed him to worldwide fame almost overnight. It ...
'' (Blue Note)
* 1966: ''
Let It Go
"Let It Go" is a song from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney's 2013 computer-animated feature film ''Frozen (2013 film), Frozen'', whose music and lyrics were composed by husband-and-wife songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert L ...
'' (
Impulse!
Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record company and label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positiv ...
Mildred Anderson
Mildred Anderson was an American jazz, blues and R&B singer.
In the early years of her career, Anderson worked with Albert Ammons and His Rhythm Kings, recording with them the song "Doin' the Boogie Woogie" on April 8, 1946. Later, she worked an ...
* 1960: ''
Person to Person
''Person to Person'' is a popular television program in the United States that originally ran from 1953 to 1961, with two episodes of an attempted revival airing in 2012. Edward R. Murrow hosted the original series from its inception in 1953 unti ...
'' (Bluesville)
With
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Edward F. Davis (March 2, 1922 – November 3, 1986), known professionally as Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
It is unclear how he acquired the moniker "Lockjaw" (later shortened in "Jaws"): it is either said that ...
* 1956–57: ''Jazz With A Beat'' (
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
)
* 1957: ''
Count Basie Presents Eddie Davis Trio + Joe Newman
''Count Basie Presents Eddie Davis Trio + Joe Newman'' (also released as ''Countin' on Basie'') is an album by saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis' Trio with Count Basie and Joe Newman recorded in late 1957 and originally released on the Roulette ...
'' (
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning ''little wheel'' which was likely developed from the Italian game Biribi''.'' In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the ...
Jaws
Jaws or Jaw may refer to:
Anatomy
* Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth
** Mandible, the lower jaw
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker''
* ...
Buddy Tate
George Holmes "Buddy" Tate (February 22, 1913 – February 10, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist and clarinetist.
Biography
Tate was born in Sherman, Texas, United States, and first played the alto saxophone. According to the website All A ...
,
Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...
Jaws in Orbit
''Jaws in Orbit'' is an album by saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis with organist Shirley Scott, recorded in 1959 for the Prestige label.Payne, DShirley Scott discographyaccessed July 9, 2012
Reception
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states: ...
Misty
Misty may refer to:
Music
* ''Misty'' (Ray Stevens album), an album by Ray Stevens featuring the above song
* ''Misty'' (Richard "Groove" Holmes album), an album by Richard "Groove" Holmes featuring the above song
* ''Misty'' (Eddie "Lockjaw" ...
'' (Moodsville) - recorded 1959–60
* 1964: '' Smokin''' (Prestige) - recorded 1958
With
Jimmy Forrest James, Jim or Jimmy Forrest may refer to:
Sports
* James Forrest (rugby union) (born 1907), Scotland international rugby union player
* James Forrest (baseball) (1897–1977), American baseball player
* James Forrest (basketball) (born 1972), Ame ...
* 1978: ''Heart of the Forrest'' (Palo Alto)
With
Al Grey
Al Grey (June 6, 1925 – March 24, 2000) was an American jazz trombonist who was a member of the Count Basie orchestra. He was known for his plunger mute technique and wrote an instructional book in 1987 called ''Plunger Techniques''.
Care ...
* 1977: ''Al Grey Jazz All Stars: Travelers Lounge Live'' (Travelers)
* 1979: ''Al Grey/Jimmy Forrest Quintet: Live at Rick's'' (Aviva)
With Joe Newman
* 1958: ''
Soft Swingin' Jazz
''Soft Swingin' Jazz'' is an album by trumpeter Joe Newman's Quartet with organist Shirley Scott recorded in early 1958 for the Coral label.
'' (Coral)
With
Jimmy Rushing
James Andrew Rushing (August 26, 1901 – June 8, 1972) was an American singer and pianist from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., best known as the featured vocalist of Count Basie's Orchestra from 1935 to 1948.
Rushing was known as " Mr. Five by ...
* 1967: ''
Every Day I Have the Blues
"Every Day I Have the Blues" is a blues song that has been performed in a variety of styles. An early version of the song is attributed to Pinetop Sparks and his brother Milton. It was first performed in the taverns of St. Louis by the Spark ...
'' (BluesWay)
With Al Smith
* 1959: '' Hear My Blues'' (Bluesville)
References
External links
*
* Shirley Scott discography by Doug Payne discography at Jazzlists
* – last filmed public performance playing with
Joey DeFrancesco
Joey DeFrancesco (April 10, 1971August 25, 2022) was an American jazz organist, trumpeter, saxophonist, and occasional singer. He released more than 30 albums under his own name, and recorded extensively as a sideman with such leading jazz perfo ...
at an organ summit in her honor in 1999 Shirley Scott obituary by ''
The Scotsman
''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...