John Wright - The Last Amen - New Jazz NJ 8322 - Original Prestige Pressing (!!) , Blue Trident Label, Mono
John Wright - Piano
Eugene Taylor - Bass
Walter McCants - Drums
Recorded - December 19, 1961, Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ - [the Tuesday - Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers just finished recording Buhaina's Delight the day before, the Monday (18th) , John Coltrane would record his legendary Ballads side two days later, the Thursday (21st) ]
Supervision - Esmond Edwards
Recording: Rudy Van Gelder ['Van Gelder' in the deadwax]
Cover Design - Don Schlitten
Cover Photo - Esmond Edwards
Released - April 1965?
This was one of my last remaining personal holy grails of jazz vinyl collecting - John Wright's The Last Amen! I've long sought the elusive original 1965 New Jazz/Prestige vinyl (one pressing only, very limited quantities, I believe) - and was finally able to acquire one last week for a significant outlay (equivalent to my modest monthly vinyl acquisition budget - somewhere between a bargain and fair/market price). This LP has recently turned up on a recent ripoff Spanish bootleg of John Wright's Prestige recordings (you know the label, don't buy it!) - the bulk of which I'm almost positive was taken from this blog incidentally - but this is the real thing, from the original scarce Mono vinyl.
When speaking with John Wright several months ago, he related to me that he really didn't have any clear memories of recording this side (all of his recording sessions blurred together for him, he singled out South Side Soul and Makin Out by name, but he remembered his records mostly by the composition of the sidemen), or why it remained unreleased until 1965 after initially recording it in late 1961. In any event, this is a beautiful and more contemplative recording which deserves wider exposure.
Stay tuned in the next few months on the blog for some pieces on the life of Gene Shaw (with the cooperation of his family), a piece about the recording of Shaw's Debut in Blues with the only surviving musician from the session, trombonist Herb Wise, and perhaps some more surprises.
http://uptobox.com/1amrz6rj08ms
ReplyDeleteFascinating find. Thanks a lot.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!Fantastic find! Many thanks!
ReplyDeletereally great share! thanks a lot!
ReplyDeleteregards,
a
Thanks a lot
ReplyDeletePeace
Many thanks for this rare album.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to hearing the Gene Shaw pieces too.
Thanks again Sun.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this rare piece of history. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall at Rudy's studio the week this was recorded!
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis is indeed an amazing find, one that my Dad and Grandad never did acquire. Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteGreat share...thnx/Otis
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this gem.
ReplyDeleteLooks fantastic -- thank you for this!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for this and a wonderful blog at all.
ReplyDeleteThanks prestontw fantastic find and great piece of jazz history to share
ReplyDeleteThanks for your efforts here. The Larry Young(Thornel Schwartz) was a terrific,obscure treat. The Lloyd B.Mayer side was one I took on the road from 1963.The record ,still here , is scratched and warped,still plays but youre rip hit the spot. I got the feeling you were also one of those people around Washington DC a long time ago( 61) in the Caverns digging the JFK. All the best to you and yours,Thanks you !
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