Various - Soho Scene '63 Vol. 2: Jazz Goes Mod RSD26 (LP)

Record Store Day 2026.

Compare the best of British jazz circa 1963 with American sounds from labels such as Prestige, Tangerine and World Pacific. This album captures the period when rhythm and blues is emerging as the dominant club sound, forcing Soho jazz clubs to change their music policy in order to survive. On the British side, you’ve got Ronnie Scott’s arrangement of Last Minute Bossa Nova; Bang!, taken from Dick Morrissey Quartet’s first session for the BBC’s World Service, recorded around the time of the release of their first album Have You Heard? The version here is take two. You can hear take one along with the rest of the eleven-track session on R&B18 Jazz For Moderns.

Early In The Morning is a Ginger Baker/Jack Bruce arrangement of the traditional work song realized as a repeated blues riff, and is the first ever recording that is recognizably British Blues. Graham Bond features on alto sax along with Bruce and Baker together as members of the Johnny Burch Octet heard playing live at a BBC staff party from March 1963. Side Two features Jazz Stateside, such as West Coast guitarist Johnny Hartsman, Gene Ammons veering into proto jazz-funk on Jungle Soul, aka Ca’ Purange plus a couple of top notch Hammond workouts from Terrell Prude and Charles Kynard.

A1 Dick Morrissey Quartet*– Bang!
A2 Emcee Five*– Mike's Dilemma
A3 Michael Garrick Quintet– Vishnu
A4 Vic Lewis & His Bossa Nova All Stars– Last Minute Bossa Nova
A5 Johnny Burch Octet– Early In The Morning
B1 Pony Poindexter– 4-11-44
B2 Terrell Prude– Princess
B3 Johnny Hartman*– Soppin'
B4 Eddie Kochak & Hakki Obadia– Jazz In Port Said
B5 Charles Kynard– Where's It At
B6 Gene Ammons– Jungle Soul.