Search - Gloria Coleman :: Sweet Missy

This is a swinging 'old school' Hammond organ-based jazz com

OrganJazzMan | Italy | 12/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Review from "CDBABY"'swebsite:

Since the days of Wild Bill Davis and Jimmy Smith, there has been an unstoppable movement in America's musical development that has brought numerous pianists and bass players to the bench of the Hammond organ. One such bass player has been Gloria Coleman. Today, she represents one of the pioneering Jazz organists of our country who is versed in every aspect of the genre.







Born on a July 24th in New York, Gloria began playing music early in life but still refers to herself as a "late bloomer" on both bass and piano. "Actually, I started playing violin as my first instrument. Then I started playing bass, and later switched to piano." She remembers 1952 as a starting point in her career. Early musical associations were important as Gloria paid dues as a bassist with some great pianists. "I did play with Sarah McLawler for a minute then I went to Philly and played with Myrtle Young who had a very nice group." Gloria later worked with another pianist named Sonny Thompson in Chicago and eventually with Sonny Stitt, Matthew Gee and Cecil Payne. She played bass less frequently as she began to devote more time to and interest in the piano and organ. "I had been playing bass for quite a while and then while I was playing with Sonny Stitt, he wanted to switch-up and get an organ trio going. So I started playing organ and I ended up back with Sonny as his organist." The year was probably 1960 because Gloria had been heard in Atlantic City at a club called `Sherry's' playing with Tiny Grimes and was doing a lot of switching back and forth between piano and organ. She was actually in the thick of the Jazz organ revolution this whole time. Today she recalls the origins and friendships with both Jack McDuff and Jimmy Smith. "Well, it was because of Jimmy Smith that I got the 'organ-bass' together. When I told him I was going to learn how to play the organ and I was struggling in the basement at Small's (the famous Harlem night club), I said, 'Now Jimmy, I have got to get this bass without looking at my feet,' you know, and he gave me a little secret and I tried it and it worked!" In fact, Gloria has never left this circle of modern Jazz organ originators. "Part of my heart is Jack McDuff 'cause we started together and ended up playing together." Although many of her closest friends in this circle have passed on, like Shirley Scott, Richard Groove Holmes, Don Patterson and Larry Young, they will always remain in her heart. Returning to Sonny Stitt's band, however, would serve as a way for Gloria to stay close to the piano. "I ended up playing piano with Sonny, off and on, until he died. He played a major part in my life musically and as a person that I loved very much but what really got me to play more piano was a club owner in East Orange, New Jersey named Hal. He had a club called the Living Room and one night I was at the Village Gate with Sonny Stitt and he came by and said, 'I want you to open the Living Room.' He said that the organ was at the other club he owned and he wanted me to play piano, I said no and he said yes and he said, 'you be at the club Wednesday and have you a bass player and drummer and you will be there through Sunday'. So I started there and boy, I started playin', and after the second night, I said, 'this is not so bad!' Hal was the reason why I really started playing piano. I stayed in there for four or five months and fell in love with the baby grand."







Like her friend Shirley Scott, Gloria would marry a saxophonist of major stature. George Coleman would play an important part in her musical career as well. "My husband really was the one that helped me when I was starting to play the piano. We used to practice at home - him and myself and Booker Little - which not too many people know about. He was George's best friend and he was constantly with us until he died." Gloria was inspired by George and many other horn players that she came in contact with. She began writing and arranging her own music as well as music for others. Artists like Joe "Lee" Wilson, Irene Reid and, more recently, Hank Crawford and Bobby Humphrey have all taken advantage of the magnificent musical ideas offered by Gloria. She would surround herself with only the strongest of players from the outset of her career. An early organ combo featured Booker Ervin on tenor and Carmen Lacaria on drums, and once she heard Grant Green with Jack McDuff, she had to have him in her band as well. She recorded on Impulse in 1963 with Grant on guitar, Leo Wright on alto and Polar Roberts on drums (Impulse A-47). Many of her compositions were dedicated to the many musicians she admired and love: Ike Quebec, Melba Liston, Grant Green and, of course, Shirley Scott. Gloria Coleman became increasingly popular with her lyrics and poetic sense. In fact, poems still flow from her mind almost as quickly as musical ideas. She has written about Eddie Jefferson, Horace Silver, Elvin Jones and Gene Ammons to name only a few.



Today, she holds close the remaining organists who share her memories and sentiments, like Lonnie Smith, Dayton Selby and Jimmy McGriff.







Gloria's love of the music and the musicians who create it is truly unequaled. Musical associations with folks like Etta Jones, Shirley Horn, Irene Reid, Dakota Staton, Jimmy Scott, Della Griffin and Shirley Scott have proven to be life reinforcing. Gloria's remarkable vocals reflect her simpatico with these friends and are actually integral in her musical personality. This recording boasts three vocals formerly recorded by her friends. The title track, `Sweet Missy' is an exquisite ballad written by Gloria for her daughter. George's rendering of this haunting melody is uncanny.







Gloria Coleman is one of those rare musicians who is known by all those within the music world and yet has not been paid the respect that is due to her from those who market music and manipulate the industry. In others words, Gloria is yet another `best kept secret' while she continues to keep the flames alive with her original compositions; her heartfelt vocals; and her ever present piano trio and organ combo performances.

TRACKS:

1 Do It Again

2 Too Close For Comfort

3 Martin's Rhumba

4 Sweet Missy

5 I Just Found Out About Love

6 Confirmation

7 Put'em In a Box, Tie'em With a Ribbon

8 Blues Everywhere

9 When Did You Leave Heaven

10 Impressions

11 Confirmation (alt take)"