Trudy Pitts looking badass!

Listen/Download – Trudy Pitts – Bucketful of Soul MP3

Greetings all.

I come to you today after a brief dip in my Hammond crates, after which I surfaced with the record you see before you clenched in my teeth (not really, but you dig, right?).

I am always happy to come across a groovy organ 45, but a little more so when it turns out to be evidence of the small but very cool sorority of female Hammond slingers (which also included Shirley Scott, Bu Pleasant, Rhoda Scott, and Merritt Hemmingson).

Trudy Pitts was one of the finest members of that group, as well as being part of the slightly larger group of Philadelphia-based organists (Jimmys Smith & McGriff, Charlie Earland e.g.) , of which there are/were many.

Pitts was born in 1932 and started recording in the early 60s, often with her husband, Bill Carney (often billed as “Mr C”) on drums.

Today’s selection, a Bucketful of Soul’ originally appeared as on the 1968 album of the same name, on which Mr C gets equal billing, and the couple was joined by soul jazz guitar master Wilbert Longmire.

The tune is a groover, with Carney and Longmire providing a base on which Pitts was able to solo extensively (even though the track is only three minutes long, edited down to about a minute shorter than the LP version), and stylishly.

‘Bucketful of Soul’ is a great example of mid-60s Hammond, never getting too far out, but definitely packing a more modern punch than the more R&B, or straight jazz sounds of a few years earlier.

Pitts recorded four albums for Prestige in 1967 and 1968, went on to guest on a number of Rahsaan Roland Kirk LPs in the 70s, and continued to play and record until here death in 2010.

Her LPs can be difficult to come by, but are all worth picking up. There was a CD reissue of a bunch of her Prestige material with Pat Martino, but it appears to be out of print. Some of her later, self-released albums are available in iTunes.

I hope you dig the track, and I’ll see you all on Wednesday.

Keep the faith

Larry

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One Response to “Trudy Pitts – Bucketful of Soul”

1. Jeff says:

   December 13, 2016 at 11:17 pm

   Why, yes, Trudy Pitts plays on the only Rahsaan Roland Kirk record I have! She plays organ on a cover of “I’ll Be Seeing You” on the LP “The Return of the 5,000 Lb. Man” from 1976.