Freddie McCoy - Lonely Avenue + Complete Prestige Discography

Freddie McCoy - Lonely Avenue; The Exciting New Soul Jazz Sounds of America's Newest Vibist!- Prestige PR 7395 - Prestige Original Pressing, Stereo, Blue Trident Label

Freddie McCoy - Vibes
Gil Askey - Trumpet
Tate Houston - Baritone Sax
Napoleon Allen - Guitar on Side A
Richard Harris - Trombone on Side B
James Thomas - Organ
Martin Rivera - Bass
Ray Lucas - Drums

Recorded - [not listed on sleeve, but according to major Prestige discographies - January 25 & February 16, 1965, Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ]

Produced by Cal Lampley
Recording - Rudy Van Gelder
Cover Design/Photo - [uncredited]

Released - August 28, 1965

And last but not least, here's McCoy's debut, Lonely Avenue - his shortest and the most elusive Prestige side of the 7300 series! The subtitle of the side, e.g " The Exciting New Soul Jazz Sounds of America's Newest Vibist!" heralds much, but this is only a modest and somewhat promising debut . It's also McCoy's most straight ahead/less funkiest side, and there's some interesting supporting players on here which I can't get much information about. McCoy's playful sense of humor is also on display here - watch for a quote from 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' on track A4... that got your attention, didn't it?!

I've been on a Freddie McCoy listening marathon this week, with his sides on frequent rotation on my turntable, and I have a constant smile on my face - this stuff is fun, melodic and soulful... isn't jazz suppose to sound like this? The jazz purists can have their hard bop thank you very much. Great fidelity off a nice condition Prestige stereo vinyl.
Get it
UPDATE: Here's a nice discography (demonoid torrent) for all you completists out there. This is an important and rather undervalued soul jazz artist. His music deserves to be heard (additional biographical information including posted messages from the late McCoy from Morocco!, comments from McCoy associates and family members, quite heartbreaking really). McCoy was one of the most recorded artists on Prestige during the late 1960s, with a total of 8 sides (7 original, 1 compilation), but he wasn't all that commercially successful. Most of his sides received limited pressings, and the original vinyl is quite difficult to track down today. McCoy is also one of the most underrepresented jazz artists in the CD/digital age; only one side, Spider Man (PR 7444) received a CD release, but only in Japan, now out of print. So essentially McCoy's work has not been heard domestically since 1965-68! It's almost as if the jazz purist gatekeepers/hard boppers wanted to erase McCoy from jazz history. They've succeeded...until now!
FREDDIE McCOY PRESTIGE DISCOGRAPHY:

PR 7395: Lonely Avenue: McCoy (vib) + Gil Askey (tp)+ Tate Houston (bars) + James Thomas (org)+ Napoleon Allen (g) + Dickie Harris (tb)+ Martin Rivera (b) Ray Lucas (d), 1/65-2/65, Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. This post, see above.

PR 7444: Spider Man: McCoy (vib) + Charles L. Wilson (p)+ Steve Davis (b)+ Rudy Lawless (d), 10/65, Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. A unknown sourced CD rip of the Japan only release (now OOP) with the classic Marvel comic cover.

PR 7470: Funk Drops: McCoy (vib) + James Robinson (tp)+ Laurdine Patrick (bars)+ John Blair (el-vln) + Alfred Williams (org)+ Albert Winston (el-b)+ Bernard Purdie (d) or JoAnne Brackeen (p) + Augustus Turner (b)+ George Scott (d), 6/66, Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Previous Post, see overleaf.

PR 7487: Peas 'N' Rice: McCoy (vib)+ Charles L. Wilson (p)+ Steve Davis (b)+ Rudy Lawless (d) or Wilbur Dad Buscomb (tp)+ Edward David Williams (tp)+ JoAnne Brackeen (p)+ Wally Richardson (g)+ Eustis Guillemet (el-b)+ Ray Lucas (d) or Kalil Madi (d), 10/65, 4/67, 5/67, Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. This original rip previously appeared on the trailblazing , legendary blog My Favorite Sound some time ago. I've taken this previous version, reprocessed it and reedited some of the tracks.

PR 7542: Beans & Greens: McCoy (vib) + Wilbur Buscomb, Edward Williams (tp)+ + JoAnne Brackeen (p)+ Dave Blume (org)+ Wally Richardson (g)+ Dave Blume (org) + Don Payne or Joseph Macho (el-b)+ Ray Lucas (d), 10/67, Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Previous Post, see overleaf.

PR 7561: Soul Yogi: McCoy (vib) + JoAnne Brackeen (p, org)+ Steve Wolfe (sitar) + Peter Dimitriades, Emanuel Green, Joseph Malignaggi (vln) + Wally Richardson (g)+ Lawrence Evans (el-b) + Ray Appleton (d) + Dave Blume (arr), 1/68. 2/68, Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. The original rip of this classic McCoy side is courtesy of the blog, Things&Stuff&Music. I've taken this original rip, and reprocessed some of the clicks.

PR 7582: Listen Here: McCoy (vib) + Wilbur Bascomb, Edward Williams (tp) + Quentin Jackson, Melba Liston (tb) + Gene Walker (as, varitone) +JoAnne Brackeen (el-p, org) + Wally Richardson (g)+ Raymond McKinney (b)+ Jimmy Lewis (el-b)+ Bernard Purdie (d ) or Al Dreares (d) + Montego Joe (cga), 6/68, Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Previous Post, See Overleaf.
PR 7706: The Best of Freddie McCoy: McCoy (vib) + assorted sidemen, 65-68. Admittedly McCoy is an acquired taste, but this compilation gives you a good flavor of his Prestige sides in under 30 mins.