Shirley Scott

Shirley Scott (March 14, 1934 – March 10, 2002) was an American jazz organist.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Scott studied trumpet and piano in school. As a performer in the 1950s, she played the Hammond B-3 organ. Her recordings with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis included the hit "In the Kitchen". Influenced by gospel and blues, she played soul jazz in the 1960s with Stanley Turrentine, who became her husband during the same decade; the couple divorced in 1971.

Although organ trios declined in popularity during the 1970s, they resurged in the 1980s and she recorded again. In the 1990s, she recorded as pianist in a trio and performed at venues in Philadelphia. She was also a jazz educator.

Scott won an $8 million settlement in 2000 against American Home Products, the manufacturers of the diet drug fen-phen. She died of heart failure in 2002.

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Shirley Scott among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

Discography

As leader

• 1958: Great Scott! (Prestige)
• 1958: Scottie (Prestige)
• 1959: Scottie Plays the Duke (Prestige)
• 1959: Soul Searching (Prestige)
• 1958–60: Shirley's Sounds (Prestige) - released 1961
• 1958–60: The Shirley Scott Trio (Moodsville)
• 1960: Soul Sister (Prestige) - with Lem Winchester; released 1966
• 1960: Mucho, Mucho (Prestige) - with The Latin Jazz Quintet
• 1960: Like Cozy (Moodsville) - released 1962
• 1961: Satin Doll (Prestige) - released 1963
• 1958–61: Workin' (Prestige) - released 1967
• 1960–61: Stompin' (Prestige) - released 1967
• 1961: Hip Soul (Prestige) - with Stanley Turrentine
• 1961: Blue Seven (Prestige) - with Oliver Nelson, Joe Newman; released 1966
• 1961: Hip Twist (Prestige) - with Stanley Turrentine
• 1961: Shirley Scott Plays Horace Silver (Prestige)
• 1962: Happy Talk (Prestige) - also released as Sweet Soul in 1965.
• 1963: The Soul Is Willing (Prestige) - with Stanley Turrentine
• 1963: Drag 'em Out (Prestige)
• 1963: For Members Only (Impulse!) - with Oliver Nelson
• 1963: Soul Shoutin' (Prestige) - with Stanley Turrentine
• 1964: Travelin' Light (Prestige) - with Kenny Burrell
• 1958–64: Now's the Time (Prestige) - released 1967
• 1964: Blue Flames (Prestige) - with Stanley Turrentine
• 1964: Great Scott!! (Impulse!) - with Oliver Nelson
• 1964: Everybody Loves a Lover (Impulse!) - with Stanley Turrentine
• 1964: Queen of the Organ [live] (Impulse!) - with Stanley Turrentine
• 1965: Latin Shadows (Impulse!) - with Gary McFarland
• 1966: On a Clear Day (Impulse!)
• 1966: Roll 'Em: Shirley Scott Plays the Big Bands (Impulse!) - with Oliver Nelson
• 1966: Soul Duo (Impulse!) - with Clark Terry
• 1967: Girl Talk (Impulse!)
• 1968: Soul Song (Atlantic) - with Stanley Turrentine
• 1969: Shirley Scott & the Soul Saxes (Atlantic) - with King Curtis, Hank Crawford, David "Fathead" Newman
• 1970: Something (Atlantic)
• 1971: Mystical Lady (Cadet)
• 1972: Lean on Me (Cadet)
• 1973: Superstition (Cadet) - with Richard Evans
• 1974: One for Me (Stata East) - with Harold Vick, Billy Higgins
• 1978: The Great Live Sessions (ABC/Impulse!) [2LP] - with Stanley Turrentine; recorded 1964
• 1989: Oasis (Muse)
• 1991: Great Scott! (Muse)
• 1991: Blues Everywhere (Candid)
• 1991: Skylark (Candid)
• 1992: A Walkin' Thing (Candid) - with Terell Stafford, Tim Warfield

As sidewoman

With Stanley Turrentine

• 1961: Dearly Beloved (Blue Note)
• 1963: Never Let Me Go (Blue Note)
• 1963: A Chip Off the Old Block (Blue Note)
• 1964: Hustlin' (Blue Note)
• 1966: Let It Go (Impulse!)
• 1968: Common Touch (Blue Note)

With Mildred Anderson

• 1960: Person to Person (Bluesville)

With Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis

• 1956–57: Jazz With A Beat (King)
• 1957: Count Basie Presents Eddie Davis Trio + Joe Newman (Roulette)
• 1958: Eddie Davis Trio Featuring Shirley Scott, Organ (Roulette)
• 1958: The Eddie Davis Trio Featuring Shirley Scott, Organ (Roost)
• 1958: The Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Cookbook, Vol. 1 (Prestige)
• 1958: Jaws (Prestige)
• 1958: The Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Cookbook, Vol. 2 (Prestige)
• 1959: Very Saxy (Prestige) - with Buddy Tate, Coleman Hawkins, Arnett Cobb
• 1959: Jaws in Orbit (Prestige)
• 1959: Bacalao (Prestige)
• 1960: Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis with Shirley Scott (Moodsville)
• 1961: The Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis Cookbook Volume 3 (Prestige) - recorded 1958
• 1963: Misty (Moodsville) - recorded 1959–60
• 1964: Smokin' (Prestige) - recorded 1958

With Jimmy Forrest

• 1978: Heart of the Forrest (Palo Alto)

With Al Grey

• 1977: Al Grey Jazz All Stars: Travelers Lounge Live (Travelers)
• 1979: Al Grey/Jimmy Forrest Quintet: Live at Rick's (Aviva)

With Joe Newman

• 1958: Soft Swingin' Jazz (Coral)

With Jimmy Rushing

• 1967: Every Day I Have the Blues (BluesWay)

With Al Smith

• 1959: Hear My Blues (Bluesville)