A Walkin' Thing (Remastered) Shirley Scott

• 1 Carnival (Panamanian Independence Song) (Remastered) 04:07
• 2 D.T. Blues (Remastered) 06:06
• 3 A Walkin' Thing (Remastered) 10:43
• 4 When A Man Loves A Women (Remastered) 03:52
• 5 What Makes Harold Sing (Remastered) 04:13
• 6 Shades Of Bu (Remastered) 06:52
• 7 How Am I To Know (Remastered) 08:37
• 8 Remember (Remastered) 09:08
• Total Runtime 53:38

Info for A Walkin' Thing (Remastered)

1992s A Walkin Thing is the last of three albums the great American organist Shirley Scott recorded for Candid, and her final recording before her passing.

A true titan of jazz, Scotts mix of gospel and hard-pop helped define the 60s soul-jazz scene both as a leader and a featured player with Stanley Turrentine and Eddie Lockjaw Davis.

Born in 1934, the undisputed Queen of the B3 began her long recording career with Prestige Recoedsa in 1958, going on to release legendary albums on Impulse!, Cadet, Atlantic and Candid. Here, on her last outing, Scott returns to her signature sound, ending her career on a perfect high-note.

The set has a variety of moods - The infectious romp and joy of Carnival, the marvelous tribute to Art Blakey entitled Shades of Bu, and title track A Walkin Thing, which gets an extended workout by Scott. Theres also a swinging version of Irving Berlins Remember, the truly funky DB Blues. Probably the standout is Scotts ultra-slow, hymn-like take on When a Man Loves a Woman.

First and foremost, Scott was a trained pianist, and it should be noted that towards the end of her life, she gravitated more to that instrument. But here, Scott returns to form, making this recording bitter sweet.

"One of Shirley Scott's last viable recordings before she passed away is a sweet, delicious collection of jazz standards and originals with a fresh-faced group that the organist was happy she was able to present, if the music is any indication. Young trumpeter Terell Stafford and tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield -- friends and colleagues going back to their college days -- make for a formidable and compatible front line. They trade melody lines and work in tandem on a sonorous level that reflects a brotherhood and agreed vision within the modern mainstream idiom. With veteran bassist Arthur Harper (ex-John Coltrane) and drummer Aaron Walker, this cohesive quintet takes off, with Scott's sympathetic and underscored style laying back to allow her young men to soar, fly, and swing. The band fairly bristles with excitement on the Panamanian freedom song "Carnival," as strong horn lines go back and forth, then a subdued organ solo settles the song down. The title track, the classic Benny Carter tune, lopes along over 11 very soulful minutes with wonderful harmony from Stafford and Warfield -- perfect no-fault jazz. Scott is supportive to the maximum during Irving Berlin's "Remember," a great example of how she refuses to upstage or get in the way of her young charges. Harper's atypical role as a bassist in an organ combo also allows the horn players to take charge further, in Stafford's case when he leads off on his easygoing original "D.T. Blues," or alongside Warfield during Scott's airy Brazilian tribute to Harold Vick, "What Makes Harold Sing?" Where "Shades of Bu" is clearly dedicated to Art Blakey in its swing/shuffle beat, there are also distinct echoes of John Coltrane in this definitive straight-ahead music that reflects the best of '60s jazz. Scott, always mindful of romantic moments, sets the horns aside for a purely heart-wrenching, ultra-slow take of Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" with a gospel flavoring. On this solid top-to-bottom recording, and one of her better contemporary efforts, Shirley Scott carries on fine and mellow, emphasizing her strengths and letting her very capable band do the work while she lingers in her own serene, soulful way." (Michael G. Nastos, AMG)

Shirley Scott, organ
Terell Stafford, trumpet
Tim Warfield, tenor saxophone
Arthur Harper, bass
Aaron Walker, drums

Recorded in 1992 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs
Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder

Digitally remastered by Bernie Grundman

Shirley Scott (1934-2002)
Known as the “Queen of the Organ,” Shirley Scott began her musical career as a pianist at the age of six. She later moved on to the trumpet but continued to play the piano for neighborhood gigs. While playing jazz piano in her native Philadelphia, Ms. Scott was encouraged to try the organ. She had the great fortune to meet and study with Jimmy Smith and is considered his best known protégé.

Well known for her command of the Hammond B-3, Ms. Scott’s popularity surged in the late fifties during her collaboration with the great tenor saxophonist Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. In the sixties, Ms. Scott briefly formed her own trio and hired the late tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Ms. Scott and Mr. Turrentine were married in 1961 and their personal and professional relationship lasted almost ten years.

In addition to Mr. Davis and Mr. Turrentine, Ms. Scott recorded with jazz greats Harold Vick, Dexter Gordon, Coleman Hawkins, Oliver Nelson, and David “Fathead” Newman, to name only a few. During her career, Ms. Scott released over 100 recordings on Prestige, Impulse, Blue Note, Atlantic, and numerous other labels.

In 1992, Ms. Scott was named musical director for Bill Cosby’s television series, “You Bet Your Life.”

Dedicated to education, Ms. Scott earned a Bachelor’s degree from Cheyney University in Pennsylvania while working on two Master’s degrees. She subsequently served as a full-time Assistant Professor at Cheyney. She was a well-known jazz educator and encouraged her students to consider careers in jazz. Additionally, she received two Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.

This album contains no booklet.