Marking saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis' centennial, the 2023 anthology Cookin' with Jaws and the Queen: The Legendary Prestige Cookbook Albums spotlights the ebulliently earthy collaborations between the tenor icon and organist Shirley Scott. As a key member of the Count Basie band of the 1950's, Davis established his authoritative style as one that could be throaty and gruff one minute and velvet-soft the next. However, it was his work with Scott -- an effusively gifted player steeped in gospel and blues -- from about ...
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Marking saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis' centennial, the 2023 anthology Cookin' with Jaws and the Queen: The Legendary Prestige Cookbook Albums spotlights the ebulliently earthy collaborations between the tenor icon and organist Shirley Scott. As a key member of the Count Basie band of the 1950's, Davis established his authoritative style as one that could be throaty and gruff one minute and velvet-soft the next. However, it was his work with Scott -- an effusively gifted player steeped in gospel and blues -- from about 1955 to 1960 that cemented their legacies and helped to popularize the soulful, hard-swinging organ trio sound. Culled from several 1958 sessions, Cookbook, Vol. 1, Cookbook, Vol. 2, Cookbook, Vol. 3, and Smokin' (all featured here) remain some of the most potent and memorable of their recordings. They are joined by Scott's band of the time, including drummer Arthur Edgehill, reed player/flautist Jerome Richardson, and bassist George Duvivier. Together, they dig into a mix of standards and some originals that strike a warm balance between Basie-esque swing, bop, groove-oriented R&B, and slow-burning blues. Of the latter, the group's 12-minute take on Johnny Hodges' "In the Kitchen" on Vol. 1 is a standout, as is the steamy, gospel-inflected "The Rev" off Vol. 2. Equally engaging originals pop up along the way, including Davis' frenetic "Have Horn, Will Blow," the sparkling "The Chef", and the trio of food-themed cuts on Vol. 3: "Heat 'n' Serve," "The Goose Hangs High," and "Simmerin'." The standards are just as delicious, with Davis and Scott cutting deep into ballads like "My Old Flame" and "Stardust." ~ Matt Collar, Rovi
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