Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing housed in a tip-on jacket. In between being one of the most recorded studio drummers of all time (this "Purdie Shuffle" graced everything from Aretha Franklin to Steely Dan), Bernard Purdie squeezed in a few sessions of his own. Purdie Good! Was recorded early in 1971 by legendary engineer Rudy Van Gelder. The album masterfully balances three Purdie originals with three covers, including a blazing romp through James Brown's "Cold Sweat."
Legendary drummer Bernard Purdie returns with his first new album in six years-and his first as an octogenarian. This ambitious all-vocal album showcases Purdie's rich and versatile grooves, spanning R&B, jazz, AOR, and bossa nova, distilling the essence of his sophisticated rhythm. Featuring an all-star lineup including Bill Champlin, Robben Ford, Chuck Rainey, and Christian McBride, this album is a masterclass in groove-driven musicianship. With his signature deep and soulful drumming, Purdie delivers an unparalleled rhythmic experience that guarantees pure bliss. This is the ultimate essence of drum accompaniment-an extraordinary new album from the one and only Bernard Purdie, proving that age is just a number.
When Bernard Purdie is not helping some big star the likes of Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes, Donny Hathaway and B.B. King to create a fantastic studio sound, the drummer pursues his own projects such as "Soul to Jazz", two albums he recorded in 1996 and 1997. Released on CD back then (and now out of print), the two recordings have a cult factor today and sound as fresh as they did back then. Now both albums are released together for the first time as a 3-LP Set. These recordings are peppered with lots of prominent star guests from jazz and soul, from Eddie Harris, Michael Brecker and Nils Landgren to Hank Crawford, Stanley Turrentine and Cornell Dupree. Purdie's "Soul to Jazz" project takes two different approaches: The first part focuses on the renowned WDR Big Band led by Gil Goldstein. Soul classics such as Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", "When a Man Loves a Woman", Eddie Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance" and Lee Morgan's famous groove tune "Sidewinder" are interpreted in large-scale sound. One discovery of these recordings amidst all the renowned guest soloists is the New York-born singer Martin Moss. The great success of this first album released under "Soul to Jazz" led to "Soul to Jazz II", a more intimate record, but one that picks up where the first recording left off by exploring similar themes. Again Purdie has called together a notable band of kindred spirits, including saxophonists Hank Crawford (B.B. King, Ike & Tina Turner, Ray Charles), Stanley Turrentine (Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott) and Vincent Herring, as well as guitarist Cornell Dupree (King Curtis) to pianists Benny Green and Junior Mance. Bernard Purdie's "Soul to Jazz" is a timeless classic and a blueprint of the soul-jazz genre in all it's facets. Above all, it is a portrait of one of the most influential and best drummers in the world, who made jazz groove with his inimitable funky soul beat.
