The four albums included in this package were recorded across three sessions: June 20, September 12, and December 5, 1958. The place that so marvelously captured these thoroughly blues-immersed moments in time was the historic original habitat of Van Gelder Studio, in Rudy Van Gelder’s parents’ home at 25 Prospect Ave. in Hackensack, NJ. These sides also represent a stylistic sensibility that consistently found a welcome laboratory at Van Gelder Studio, and an eager and sensitive host and technician in young Rudy, all of 34 years old at the time. For his sterling life’s work in 2009 Van Gelder was recognized as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master. The groove orientation of these dates, the funky branch of the so-called hard bop school of the day, was known as soul-jazz.

Released to celebrate tenor jazz saxophonist Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis’ Centennial, “Cookin’ with Jaws and the Queen” showcases the influential soul-jazz partnership of Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Organist Shirley Scott. Bringing together the Prestige albums “Cookbook, Vol. 1-3,” “& “Smokin’”.

This 4-LP set is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI and newly remastered from the Original Analog tapes by Bernie Grundman. The package also features new liner notes by journalist Willard Jenkins.