By Chris M. Slawecki
Among other "Milestones" for the Fantasy Jazz catalog, 1999 heralds the 50th anniversary of its Prestige Records imprint. And the four-CD set The Prestige Records Story, scheduled for release on August 27, heralds a history and anniversary worth celebrating.
Jazz producer and devotee Bob Weinstock founded Prestige in 1949. From its inception until the time it ceased operating as an independent label (when Weinstock sold its catalog to Fantasy) in 1971, nearly every great musician who shaped the jazz revolution in the middle decades of this century including Coltrane, Monk, Davis, Rollins, Dolphy, Stitt, and the Modern Jazz Quartet cut classic, formative tracks for Prestige.
Prestige is also regarded as the premier soul-jazz label of the 1960s thanks to bold and bouncy sessions from funkmeisters Richard "Groove" Holmes, Boogaloo Joe Jones, Bernard Purdie, Houston Person and others, all of which laid the foundation for "acid jazz."
Even a mere surface survey of the Prestige catalog resounds with echoes of many eras. Coltrane recorded two of his most enduringly beautiful records for Prestige, Lush Life (1957) and Soultrane (1958). Prestige brought us Rollins landmark album Saxophone Colossus and his exciting square-off with Coltrane on the title track to Tenor Madness (both 1956). Yusef Lateefs Eastern Sounds, recorded with his soulful Detroit band led by Barry Harris, and in retrospect one of the first successful forays into "World Music," was released by Prestige in 1961.
Prestige was the first label to record one of the greatest Jazz ensembles of any era, the renown Miles Davis Quintet of 55-56 with Trane, Philly Joe Jones, Paul Chambers and Red Garland. A few years previous (1954), the label released Davis Bags Groove; billed as Miles Davis & The Modern Jazz Giants, its combinations of Davis with the MJQ, Rollins, Monk and Horace Silver is perhaps the finest collection of Jazz talent ever documented on a single disc. Prestige also captured King Curtis Soul Meeting (1960), a rare and inspired jazz outing from the session vet whose saxophone scorched through classic Atlantic soul records for the Coasters and Aretha Franklin.
(Not to mention the labels recent ten-CD American Song Classics series, compilations dedicated to such great composers as George Gershwin, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin, Rogers & Hart, Cole Porter and others, or its meticulous acoustic-to-electric ten-volume American country-blues series The Bluesville Years).
Proceeding through fifty tracks in rough chronological order, the tale told by the music of The Prestige Records Story is extraordinary. Disc One features four Miles tracks, Milt Jacksons swinging "My Funny Valentine" and the Modern Jazz Quartets "Django," plus Monks own interpretation of "Blue Monk." It also smartly programs James Moodys "Moodys Mood For Love" side-by-side with King Pleasures vocal version based on Moodys lush instrumental. Disc Two turns out Davis "Walkin" and Rollins "St. Thomas," and tracks from Garland, Tadd Dameron, and Gil Evans.
The other two CDs rumble and sway with sassy, soulful jazz-funk, the 60s music of choice for trip-hoppers of the 90s. Disc Three features famous and very different blues by Mose Allison ("The Seventh Son") and Etta James ("Dont Go To Strangers"), Shirley Scotts bad-ass "Hip Soul" and a warm and wonderful cruise down "Soul Street" with Jimmy Forrest, King Curtis and Oliver Nelson. Gene "Jug" Ammons and Illinois Jacquet stir up the final installment with their big, fat tenors; the latter with a fervent "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free," the former with "You Talk That Talk" and the prowling "Jungle Soul" and "Jungle Strut." Disc Four also spotlights George Bensons tangy "Sweet Alice Blues" and Richard "Groove" Holmes hit version of "Misty."
What would you ask someone who is surrounded by and involved with this type of music nearly every day and GETS PAID for it?! Terri Hinte, Fantasy Records Press and Public Information Director, manages publicity and media for the Fantasy labels (which includes Stax, Milestone, Specialty, Riverside, Prestige, and its namesake imprint). On the occasion of yet another awesome Fantasy compilation, we asked Terri if her job was really as cool as it sounds.
AAJ: What's the most satisfying thing for you about the success of the Fantasy stable of labels?
TH: I'm very proud to be associated with the wonderful music under this one roof, so much of which I actually like and listen to outside of work!
AAJ: Who are the Prestige artists that you personally listen to the most?
TH: Miles and Sonny.
AAJ: Have you a personal favorite style of jazz?
TH: Brazilian.
AAJ: When and how did you come to your position as Fantasy's publicist?
TH: I had just moved from New York to the Bay Area in November 1973 when I answered an ad for a job that eventually turned into my present position. At first it was threefold: proofreader / copyeditor (which still falls in my area of responsibility), assistant to the publicity director, and assistant to Orrin Keepnews, then Director of Jazz A&R. I began working at Fantasy in this capacity in December '73, and became publicity director in July 1979.
AAJ: What's the thing you most enjoy personally about the Prestige 50th anniversary compilation set?
TH: I was involved (as with all of our boxed sets) on the editorial front as well as getting word out to press. So I'm happy to have as "clean" (error-free) a package as possible, given that we're human beings; and to have the box and music given its propers in print.
AAJ: Do you feel that the general perception that Prestige helped germinate acid-jazz is well-placed?
TH: Yes. It was producer Bob Porter and the Prestige sessions he made with Idris Muhammad and Bernard Purdie that got the acid-jazz thing going.
AAJ: Geez, your work really IS as cool as it sounds?
TH: I count my blessings every day: I enjoy my work, my co-workers, & all the many extraordinary people - in every area of the business - whom I've dealt with over the years.
