Freddie with a more earthy approach than his earlier releases. Strong line-up with Harold Mabern or McCoy Tyner, James Spaulding, Hank Mobley, Joe Henderson, Bob Cranshaw or Larry Ridley, Clifford Jarvis or Pete LaRoca, Big Black, Kiane Zawade. I especially like the title track Blue Spirits lilting motif and McCoy Tyner on piano.
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Thats the 75th year reissue vinyl? How does it sound?
Overall pretty good. leans more to a midrange forwardness. Not a tone poet or Music Matter, but not bad either. Cymbals and drum kit on it are pretty good, piano is good but nothing special.
They are from a digital transfer of the analog tapes…so this digital step inbetween (although it’s a Grundman mastering like many great AAA ones) seems to clearly degrade it as usual, compared to the all analog releases.
As long as you have no comparison, they sound good enough just as you say.
Maybe I’ll just stick to the 24/192 stream from qobuz 
. Looks like this could be pretty expensive to find on original vinyl. Great record.
I have an on/off reaction to Freddie Hubbard. I’ll cue this one up on Qobuz. Any title with the word ‘blues’ in it has me intrigued. A Freddie Hubbard album I love is ‘Red Clay’.
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Nice!
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A very nice LP.
Hammond player Shirly Scott does have some nice recordings with the Soul Saxes, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, and her ex-husband Stanley Turrentine. Personally, I think she helped advance Turrentine’s career. I think she even performed with Count Basie in Count Basie Presents Eddie Davis Trio + Joe Newman .
She tried her luck singing in the late 1960s, but that was not met with enthusiasm. Electric organ popularity slipped in the 70s, but picked up again in the 80s.
Thanks for the Shirley Scott recommendation as this is a new one for me. They are most certainly having a great time laying this one out.
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My collection is not deep with Hammond B-3 soul jazz, but this platter from Don Patterson featuring Howard McGhee is mighty fine. A friend of mine turned me on to Don Patterson, a real eye opener.
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One last Don Patterson recommendation:
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I mentioned Shirley because there were not many female Hammond players around that time. Jimmy Smith was quite prolific compared to her. I especially like his performances with Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery. I just realised I have to check Booker T. Jones too.
Play this loud and go I to another room…you’ll think a real vibraphone and marimba (on two tracks) is playing in your house…
Yes, sir Booker Ervin!
Analogue Productions reissue, part of their Prestige series. I have an early original pressing that is beat to heck, so I was delighted when this came out. They also released The Song Book and Exultation, wish they had done the Blues Book and Freedom Book too.
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Yes a fantastic set. We had Miles Okazaki play at Cafe Coda about 20 months back, right after he released his Monk compilation. Steve Coleman and M-Base.
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