Walter Bishop Jr. - Coral Keys (Blue with Black Swirl LP Vinyl)

The first release on Black Jazz was by pianist and label producer Gene Russell; for the label's second release, Russell chose another piano man of impeccable taste, Walter Bishop, Jr. But while much of Russell's record consisted of songs composed by others, Bishop's record features all originals, most notably "Soul Turn Around," a groover that later turned up on Freddie Hubbard's 1969 LP A Soul Experiment. Bishop had helmed several releases before this one, including dates with John Coltrane bassist Jimmy Garrison and Miles Davis drummer Jimmy Cobb among others, so it's not surprising he assembled a heavy hitting line-up for Coral Keys, including Woody Shaw on trumpet, Reggie Jackson on bass, Idris Muhammad on drums, and Harold Vick on flute, tenor, and soprano sax. Think Herbie Hancock's '60s Blue Note recordings gently polished with a soul jazz sheen; this is some tasty stuff that was hard to find for way too long. Remastered by Mike Milchner and annotated by Pat Thomas, this pressing comes in blue with black swirl vinyl limited to 500 copies!

1 Coral Keys
2 Waltz for Zweetie
3 Track Down
4 Soul Turn Around
5 Our November
6 Three Loves
7 Freedom Suite