Craft Recordings' continues to crank out new releases in the second group of reissue titles for 2024 in their Original Jazz Classics (OJC) franchise reboot. This time, featuring their latest, The John Wright Trio's 1960 neglected classic, South Side Soul on Prestige Records. When I originally saw the list of the four albums being made available in the second installment this year for the series, of course, Red Garland's Groovy, Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane, and Miles Davis' Miles were absolute no-brainers. But The John Wright Trio? Who the heck was John Wright? I pride myself in being reasonably astute with regard to my knowledge of classic jazz from the 1940's on—even when it comes to fairly obscure players―but I have to admit, I'd never heard of John Wright. To my great surprise, South Side Soul is so far the most well-recorded of this group of releases, and features some incredible playing by a cast of relative nobody's from Chicago's South Side. Adding to its mystique, besides an OJC stereo LP reissue in 1990 (the original was released in mono), it's been out of print domestically for over sixty years. Which makes Craft's new stereo reissue very welcome, indeed! First edition, deep-groove mono pressings (there are only three listed on Discogs!) start at $80 in good-plus condition, but there's a near-mint copy selling for over $2100! That makes the $39 MSRP of this new LP reissue quite the bargain, indeed!
New lacquers for South Side Soul were cut from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, and the all analog, AAA LP was pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI. Craft/OJC LP reissues are housed in near-perfect replicas of the original, heavy tip-on outer jackets, with crisp artwork for this release sourced from the Prestige Records vault. The outer jacket features a high-gloss coating that matches the appearance of many Prestige label originals from the day, giving it a very vintage and authentic look. A really cool custom OBI strip adds an additional level of distinction to the OJC reboot LPs; it also enhances the collectibility of the new reissues. The 180 gram LP arrived inserted into a rice paper inner sleeve; it's a perfectionist touch that helps keep the LP free from paper dust accumulation, guards against scratching, and helps prevent static buildup. The outstanding packaging of this reissue will add significantly to its desirability to collectors. A high resolution 24-bit/192kHz digital download is also available for purchase and digital streaming on most major online services. You can order a copy of South Side Soul from Craft Recordings' web store HERE, and it will also be available at a variety of online retailers or your local independent record store.
The John Wright Trio, South Side Soul. 180 Gram LP, Prestige Records, $39.00 MSRP
John Wright was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1934; his family moved to Chicago when he was only two years old. His mother was an evangelistic minister, and John started playing piano and organ in church at a very young age; he was entirely self-taught. Wright started playing in jazz combos when he was stationed in Germany in the military during the mid-1950s, and became part of Chicago's local jazz scene upon his return. John Wright caught the attention of Esmond Edwards of Prestige Records, who signed him to a contract, and he recorded five albums for the label over a period from 1960-1962. Wright never sought the spotlight, and after his days with Prestige came to a close, he retreated even further from public view, although he continued to play local gigs in Chicago for decades. Wright died in 2017, and was posthumously awarded the Walter Dyett Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jazz Institute of Chicago in 2009.
South Side Soul was John Wright's debut album, and was recorded at the new Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey in a single day on August 30, 1960. Of course, Rudy Van Gelder was at the control panel, and Esmond Edwards produced the sessions for Prestige Records. For this recording, The John Wright trio consisted of John Wright on piano, Wendell Roberts on bass, and Walter McCants on drums. The album was given three stars at the time of its release by Downbeat's Don DeMichael, who described Wright's efforts on South Side Soul as "a minor triumph, and he seems to be that uncommon musician who can create and sustain moods with the simplest of material."
The album is a mish-mash of tunes, featuring an original tune from producer Esmond Edwards, a pair of compositions from pianist John Wright, a couple of numbers from bassist Wendell Roberts, and a pair of tunes from local Chicago drummer and composer Armand "Jump" Jackson. Edward's "South Side Soul" kicks off the album, where John Wright plays a nicely effective piano vamp, as bassist Wendell Roberts adds an impressively tight underlayment to the tune, while Walter McCants' staccato drum bursts and brushes give the sauntering blues tune a very noirish character. Wright's playing is impressively soulful for a self-taught player, and Roberts' solo in the center is superb. Wright's "47th and Calumet" starts a string of four consecutive tunes that reference Chicago streets and corners; it's another slow-moving blues that features some beautiful work from Wright at the piano. Armand Jackson's "LaSalle Street After Hours" is another late-night blues; Wright gives the keys a real workout here, as Roberts and McCant drive the song propulsively. Wright's "63rd and Cottage Grove" is a much more uptempo number that closes side one, and features some furious interplay between the three members of the trio; drummer Walt McCants really breaks loose at the tune's conclusion!
Side two opens with another number from bassist Wendell Roberts, his "35th Street Blues"; it's an impressionistic and lyrical blues ballad, where John Wright's runs and fills really sparkle across the length of the album's longest track. Roberts provides a really eloquent solo in the song's center, as Wright masterfully and delicately strokes the ivories; McCants' brushes help keep the bluesy mood moving. Armand Jackson's "Sin Corner" moves the album into more of an old-time gospel direction that allows the three players room to really stretch out. Wendell Roberts' "Amen Corner" takes South Side Soul home with a gospel/blues stomp, where John Wright revisits his childhood gospel roots when he played piano in his mother's church. It's a sprightly and uptempo number that brings the LP to a thrilling conclusion.
Another Great Release from Craft's OJC Reboot Series
Clicking on my name in the header above will reveal the equipment I used to evaluate South Side Soul, as well as all the equipment that resides in my dual audio systems. South Side Soul was originally released as a mono LP, and didn't see its first stereo release until 1990's original OJC reissue—and this new Craft reissue follows suit with another stereo version. Maybe that bodes well for a special edition of the original mono release perhaps on an upcoming Record Store Day! My analog system has been revamped with a pair of standmount compact monitor loudspeakers, the Vanguard Scouts, which are in the same vein as classic British monitor designs like LS3/5A's; they run in tandem with a Vanguard Caldera 10 subwoofer. The setup also incorporates the excellent PS Audio Stellar phono preamp, and as usual, playback of LPs was handled by my ProJect Classic EVO turntable that's mounted with an Ortofon Quintet Bronze MC cartridge. The star of the analog system is my recently upgraded PrimaLuna EVO 300 tube integrated amplifier, which now features a matched quad of Sovtek 6550 power tubes and a matched pair of vintage NOS Brimar 12AU7 input tubes. The new tubes imbue the PrimaLuna amp with the kind of sumptuous analog sound I never knew it was capable of, which helped give South Side Soul its amazing sound quality.
After having this LP in continuous rotation for the brief time it's been here, I'm still amazed that I'd never heard of John Wright prior to now. He's definitely a superb composer and musician, and South Side Soul is among the most enjoyable jazz reissues I've had the pleasure of hearing so far this year. Wright's limited catalog of releases definitely deserves wider recognition; this new reissue should go a long way towards making that happen! I'm continually impressed with Craft's excellent OJC reissue series; South Side Soul is such a relative rarity, I can't see how any serious collector wouldn't jump at the chance to hear this excellent new LP. RTI's pressing displayed beautifully glossy surfaces, was perfectly free of defects, and there was no noise of any kind during playback. Kevin Gray did an amazing job with his excellent remaster of this underappreciated but classic LP, which will easily exceed the sound quality of the originals or even the OJC reissue from 1990. Especially considering the prices those are fetching on Discogs! Rudy Van Gelder really nailed it with this record; the sound quality was beyond reproach, which amazed me for tapes that were almost 65 years old! And South Side Soul has never been previously available in any digital format until now; it comes very highly recommended!
Craft Recordings
All images courtesy of Craft Recordings.
