South Side Soul - The John Wright Trio (1LP Vinyl) [Original Jazz Classics]

South Side Soul by The John Wright Trio.

There are records that name a city, and then there are records that map it. "South Side Soul" by The John Wright Trio belongs firmly to the latter, an album that reads its titles like street signs and plays them like landmarks. From the opening title cut through the closing benediction of "Amen Corner," this is Chicago rendered in piano, bass, and drums, an unhurried tour of the neighborhoods that shaped its sound.

At the center sits John Wright, whose piano carries the whole affair with a warmth that never tips into showiness. He is joined by Wendell Roberts on bass and Walter McCants on drums, a trio tight enough to breathe together yet loose enough to let a groove stretch out and settle. The result is soul jazz in its most conversational form, music that leans on the blues without ever losing its swing.

The geography is the point. "47th And Calumet," "La Salle St. After Hours," and "63rd And Cottage Grove" are not just clever titles; they are the coordinates of a place and a mood, late nights and busy corners set to a walking bass line. "35th St. Blues" and "Sin Corner" keep the after hours feeling alive on the flip side, and "Amen Corner" sends things off with a nod to the church roots that run underneath so much of this idiom.

The recording pedigree here is impeccable. Rudy Van Gelder captured the trio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on August 30, 1960, and his signature clarity gives the piano its bloom and the rhythm section its heft. Esmond Edwards supervised the session and shot the cover photo, while LeRoi Jones, later known as Amiri Baraka, contributed the liner notes, lending the package a literary weight to match its musical one.

This reissue does right by the original. Kevin Gray handled all-analog mastering from the original tape and cut the lacquer himself, the kind of hands-on care that lets the 1960 session speak in its own voice. The runouts are etched, a small detail that collectors will appreciate. Issued under the 2024 Craft Recordings program with a 1960 copyright, manufactured and distributed by Concord, and made in the U.S.A., it arrives with an obi noting the Van Gelder session date.

For anyone drawn to soul jazz trios, to Van Gelder's room, or simply to the sound of a piano telling a city's story, this one earns its place on the shelf. It is a quietly essential document, unpretentious and deeply felt, and it plays as good company from first groove to last.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. South Side Soul
A2. 47th And Calumet
A3. La Salle St. After Hours
A4. 63rd And Cottage Grove
B1. 35th St. Blues
B2. Sin Corner
B3. Amen Corner

Credits:
Wendell Roberts - Bass
Walter McCants - Drums
Kevin Gray - Lacquer Cut By
LeRoi Jones - Liner Notes [Notes]
Kevin Gray - Mastered By [All-analog Mastering From The Original Tape By]
Esmond Edwards - Photography By [Cover Photo], Cover [Cover Photo]
John Wright (6) - Piano
Rudy Van Gelder - Recorded By [Recording]
Esmond Edwards - Supervised By [Supervision by]

Notes:
[On obi]
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs, NJ: August 30, 1960.

[On rear]
℗ 2024 & © 1960 Craft Recordings. Manufactured and Distributed by Concord.
Made in U.S.A.

Runouts are etched.

Artist: The John Wright Trio

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Prestige

Catalog Number: CR00721

Series: Original Jazz Classics

Release Year: 2024

Country: United States

Condition: Sealed (New)