The King Cake Crypt redux: Don Patterson - Tune Up! (1964-1969) [vinyl>flac]

Friday, July 24, 2015

Don Patterson - Tune Up! (1964-1969) [vinyl>flac]

An enjoyable set of stretched organ/tenor grooves. This LP is made up of four different sessions from Patterson's Prestige days; including the title track, all given the strong early groove of organist Don at a time when some of his contemporaries were tightening things up on the B-3, going for shorter tunes aimed at the jukebox and radio crowd. Don Patterson was a great reminder that the organ was best used on lengthier jamming tracks, on tunes that stretched out nicely with a style that was heard best in the clubs, and where an organ player could really do his thing. The album kicks off with "Just Friends'', Patterson uses a cut down trio format; Billy James on drums and tenorist Booker Ervin, another player who always knows what to do with plenty of space! The other titles include versions of "Flyin' Home", "Tune Up" a Miles Davis tune featuring Sonny Stitt on Varitone and Grant Green, listed on the album cover as Blue Grant! The album finishes up with "Blues For Mom", Don's own composition, showcasing a dual tenor line-up of George Coleman & Houston Person plus Virgil Jones on trumpet. Overall this LP is quite a magnificent soul jazz package.

Prestige Records, PR 7852, 1971

Recorded 10^th July, 1964 (#A1); 25^th August, 1964 (#A2);
15^th September, 1969 (#B1) and 2^nd June, 1969 (#B2)
at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Personnel:

Don Patterson - Organ

Booker Ervin - Tenor Saxophone (#A1,A2)

Sonny Stitt - Tenor Saxophone (#A2,B1)

Grant Green - Guitar (#B1)

Virgil Jones - Trumpet (#B2)

Houston Person - Tenor Saxophone (#B2)

George Coleman - Tenor Saxophone (#B2)

Billy James - Drums (#A1,A2,B1)

Frankie Jones - Drums (#B2)

Tracks:

A1. Just Friends {John Klenner, Sam M. Lewis} (5:56)