Soul Searching spotlights
Shirley Scott's accelerated development as a composer -- originals like "Duck and Rock" and "Plunk Plunk Plunk" are solidly yet spaciously constructed, affording
Scott's Hammond organ the room to vamp, flutter, and wail its way in and around the melodies. Longtime collaborators
Wendell Marshall on bass and
Arthur Edgehill on drums are typically effective in establishing the simple but lively rhythms that keep
Scott's more self-indulgent impulses in check -- each song is a model of energy and efficiency as tight as an outgrown pair of shoes. Still, taken as a whole
Soul Searching wears thin -- the austerity of the arrangements offers little variation from track to track, and after a while one wishes for additional elements in the mix, à la
Scott's more soulful outings with husband/tenor saxophonist
Stanley Turrentine. ~ Jason Ankeny