Bill Beau Trio - Live At The Blueport Lounge

Bill Beau Trio - Live At The Blueport Lounge is a rediscovered slice of 1960s mod-soul-jazz, presented in a deluxe vinyl edition by Mo-Jazz Records. Bill Beau was born in Toronto and raised in western Canada, absorbing the boogie-woogie piano of Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons before settling in Los Angeles.

After committing himself fully to music in 1958, Beau worked as a vibraphonist and played with figures including Ben Webster, Rex Stewart, Pete Fountain and Stuff Smith. A missed date by his regular organist unexpectedly put Beau behind the Hammond, leading him toward the organ-led sound heard with his own trio and their regular engagement at the Blue Port Lounge.

The group paired Beau with guitarist Jo Stafford and drummer Lorenzo Green, with vocalist Chi Chi also appearing with the ensemble. The material sits in the overlap between jazz, soul and club-ready rhythm: organ-driven, direct and steeped in the atmosphere of the era.

This edition is limited to 505 hand-numbered copies, comes in an authentic 1960s-style tip-on cover and is pressed on BIO-VINYL, replacing petroleum normally used in S-PVC with material derived from recycled used cooking oil or industrial waste gases.