Morris Nanton - Soul Fingers [Prestige]

Morris Nanton - Soul Fingers - Prestige PR 7467 - Prestige Original Pressing, Blue Trident Label, Mono

Morris Nanton - Piano
Norman Edge - Bass
Al Beldini - Drums
Johnny Murray Jr - Conga

+ Pucho and The Latin Soul Brothers (A1)

Recorded - [not listed on sleeve, but according to major discographies - May 13, 1965, Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ]

Produced by Cal Lampley
Recording: Rudy Van Gelder ['Van Gelder' in  Dead Wax]
Cover Design/Photo - Don Schlitten

Released - April 15, 1967

Here's some unfinished Prestige soul-jazz business -  the third and final side by the great and underrated  New Jersey soul-jazz pianist Morris Nanton: Soul Fingers!

I've previously posted his two earlier Prestige recordings  - "Preface" (PR7345) and "Something We Got" (PR 7409), so nice to finally have my own copy of this soul-jazz classic - the title track is sublime and hints at a reflective/dare I say 'modal'  direction that Soul-Jazz would never take. 

Morris Nanton - Something We've Got

Morris Nanton - Something We've Got - Prestige PR 7409 - Original Prestige pressing, Stereo, Blue Trident Label

Morris Nanton - Piano
Norman Edge - Bass
Al Beldini - Drums

Recorded - ? [not listed on sleeve, but according to major Prestige discographies - May 13 & June 16, 1965, Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ]

Produced by Cal Lampley
Recording: Rudy Van Gelder
Cover Design/Photo - Don Schlitten

Released - December 4, 1965

Here`s another good one: Morris Nanton's Something We've Got! This is a wonderful vintage Prestige side that's almost completely unknown and long forgotten these days - quite unfairly so, as it features some of Nanton's best playing as he gets the opportunity to stretch out on some more extended tracks. It's also nice listening for your holiday downtime and seasonal celebrations. Excellent fidelity off the original stereo Prestige vinyl, I include a Nanton discography for your reference.


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Morris Nanton - Preface

Morris Nanton Trio - Preface - Prestige PR 7345 - Original Prestige pressing, Mono, Blue Label, Bergenfield, NJ address

Morris Nanton - Piano
Norman Edge - Bass
Oliver Jackson - Drums

Recorded - ? [no date listed on sleeve, but according to major Prestige discographies - August 14 & September 3, 1964 - Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ]

Produced by Cal Lampley
Recording - Rudy Van Gelder
Cover Design /Liner Photo - Don Schliten

Released - February 13, 1965

Here's another great discovery and Prestige piano side rarity - Morris Nanton's Preface! Dusty Groove once called Nanton one of the most obscure players ever to record for Prestige in the 60s (perhaps not? Try Eddie Bonnemere or Gildo Mahones ), but he was quite an accomplished pianist who had a nice sense of the soul jazz groove. I really like Nanton's playing which is very wide open, leaving a lot of space, block chords - very refreshing and reflective approach to add to the soul jazz canon. This is the first of her three sides on Prestige, and it achieved some moderate degree of radio air play when it was first released in 1965, and even received some foreign (German) pressings. A perhaps apocryphal story relates that B1, 'Ja Da' was even heard in outer space during one of the Apollo missions! Nice fidelity off the original mono Prestige vinyl.

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