Don Patterson - Soul Happening!

Don Patterson - Soul Happening - Prestige PR 7484 - Original Prestige Pressing, Blue Trident Label, Mono

Don Patterson - Organ
Vincent Corrao - Guitar
Billy James - Drums

Recorded - [not listed on sleeve, but according to major Prestige discographies - August 5, 1966, Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ]

Produced by Cal Lampley
Recording - Rudy Van Gelder ['Van  Gelder' is in the dead wax]
Cover Design - Don Schiltten

Released - May 20, 1967

Back again from a month long break with some Don Patterson Prestige Soul Jazz rarities! Up first - it's Soul Happening!  Lately I've become quite fascinated with Patterson, who recorded prodigiously for Prestige (18 leader sides!), but still remains quite underrated and unappreciated in the Soul Jazz canon.  It was said that Jimmy Smith considered Don the only threat to his organ jazz throne. A small modest cult of organ/soul Jazz fanatics today also admire Don intensely.

Prestige recorded him in a number of settings - but aside from his earliest collaborations with Booker Ervin - I think Patterson is at his best in the traditional organ trio setting (organ, guitar, drums) sans horns - so you can really focus on what he's doing on his B3. This side was never released on CD, but has circulated in the blogosphere before - here's a clean upgraded version, ripped from the original Mono vinyl in my collection.