$48.00
A TAV Curator’s Pick
"What is so grand about the Carnegie tapes is that those tunes Trane was struggling with (the first couple of weeks he was near-pitiful, with the heads, but Monk pounded away at the chords) - say, "Evidence," "Monk's Mood," "Epistrophy" which grew steadily more finished and exquisite during that Summer of wonder - by time of the concert a few months later, not only was Trane peerless with the heads, but now sailed off into his own furtherness and the band itself was tight as Dick's hat band." - Amiri Baraka, liner notes
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“Jazz has had its share of great archival discoveries, not the least of which were Dean Benedetti's recordings of Charlie Parker. But the discovery of more music from the Thelonious Monk quartet with John Coltrane is made all the more extraordinary because so few knew it existed and the only official recordings by this band were made in its first weeks of existence.
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Now a forgotten November 1957 Carnegie Hall concert taped by Voice Of America radio has been discovered by the Library of Congress with two appearances by the quartet. These two 25-minute, five-tune sets feature the quartet in great fidelity and unbelievable form. The empathy and invention of the group here far surpasses the Riverside session, made months earlier. Playing together every night for 18 weeks sharpened the skills and interaction of these brilliant musicians. Monk's piano playing has never sound like this; his arpeggios are virtuosic and each note rings with clarity on the Carnegie Hall piano. Coltrane had fully mastered Monk's music by this time. In the confines of short playing times (most tunes are 4 to 6 minutes in duration), he plays with a fervid intensity trying to cram all his ideas into a brief amount of time. Ahmed Abdul-Malik and Shadow Wilson play the intricate arrangements with fluidity and push the soloists to great heights. Thanks to the clarity and presence of Wilson's drums on this recording, his work will be a revelation to anyone who had not had the fortune to see him live.
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“This is one of those "historic" recordings that becomes an instant classic and is one of the truly great finds in jazz lore. It documents a fine band with its members at the peak of their powers together. The package also contains voluminous liner notes by the likes of Ira Gitler, Amiri Baraka, Ashley Khan, Stanley Crouch, and others. This is a must-have.” – AllMusic
$48.00
This sleek and beautifully paced Lee Morgan album was recorded in 1966 but shelved until 1984 for unknown reasons. In addition to the trumpeter, the quintet here features a superb line-up with Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Cedar Walton on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums, all playing at the top of their game. Highlights include the Duke Pearson gem “Is That So” and the enticing title track penned by Morgan. – Blue Note
Label: Blue Note – B0032112-01, Blue Note – BST-84426, Blue Note – BST 84426, Blue Note – 84426 |
Series: Blue Note Tone Poet Series – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g, Gatefold |
Country: US |
Released: 29 Jan 2021 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Hard Bop |
$48.00
The Waiting Game was the unsung tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks’ final album, recorded in 1961 but not released until 1999. Brooks is one of the most under-appreciated tenor players and composers of the hard bop era, with only one of his four Blue Note sessions (the classic True Blue) released during his lifetime. Brooks is joined here by Johnny Coles on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Brooks penned five of the six tracks, showcasing his unique compositional talent in addition to his pleading and soulful tenor sound. Highlights include the Side 1 opener “Talkin’ About” and the modal masterpieces “Dhyana” and “David the King.” – Blue Note
Label: Blue Note – B0032109-01, Blue Note – BST-40536, Blue Note – BST 40536, Blue Note – ST-40536 |
Series: Blue Note Tone Poet Series – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g, Gatefold |
Country: US |
Released: 08 Jan 2021 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Hard Bop |
$55.00
Scofield and Metheny. What more needs to be said? A masterpiece meeting of musical minds, these two guitar virtuosos entered the studio in December 1993 with Steve Swallow on bass guitar and Bill Stewart on drums to create one of the greatest jazz guitar albums of all time. Produced by Lee Townsend, I Can See Your House From Here is an 11-track set of Scofield and Metheny originals including Sco’s expansive title track and Pat’s rocking “The Red One” and the stunning ballad “Message To My Friend.” – Blue Note
Label: Blue Note – B0032260-01 |
Series: Blue Note Tone Poet Series – |
Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g |
Country: US |
Released: 29 Jan 2021 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Contemporary Jazz, Post Bop, Modal |
$48.00
How is it that one of Art Blakey's greatest albums with the Jazz Messengers is so little known? The 1961 edition of the Messengers included Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass. In February and May of 1961, this group (with pianist Walter Davis Jr sitting in on two tracks) entered Rudy Van Gelder's studio in New Jersey and proceeded to lay down Roots & Herbs, a brilliant set of six Shorter compositions including the driving hard bop of the title track, the playful “Ping Pong,” and the clever “United.” The album was eventually released in 1970 and deserves a place among Blakey’s finest recordings. – Blue Note
Label: Blue Note – B0031964-01, Blue Note – BST 84347, Blue Note – ST-84347 |
Series: Blue Note Tone Poet Series – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g, Gatefold |
Country: US |
Released: 20 Nov 2020 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Hard Bop |
$48.00
When jazz bass virtuoso Paul Chambers recorded Bass On Top, his third and final album as a leader for Blue Note, he was only 22 years old but already well established as one of the top bassists in jazz. This brilliantly seductive album features stalwarts Hank Jones on piano, Kenny Burrell on guitar, and Art Taylor on drums. Highlights include the chamber-jazz interpretation of Jerome Kern’s “Yesterdays” and a lightly swinging version of “Dear Old Stockholm,” a tune often associated with Miles Davis who was Chambers’ employer at the time. – Blue Note
Label: Blue Note – B0032259-01, Blue Note – BST-81569, Blue Note – BST 81569, Blue Note – 81569 |
Series: Blue Note Tone Poet Series – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g, Gatefold |
Country: US |
Released: 29 Jan 2021 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Hard Bop |
$48.00
On the spectrum of jazz challenges, Wayne Shorter’s “Speak No Evil” appears to lean toward the easy side. The title track of the eminent saxophonist and composer’s 1964 masterpiece Speak No Evil sits in a comfortable and utterly approachable medium swing. Its primary theme is a series of long tones outlining placid, open-vista harmony. Its bridge resembles something from the notebook of Thelonious Monk – a simple staccato motif that stairsteps up and down, each phrase defined by strategic accents.
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Yet as often happens in the music of Wayne Shorter, things are not entirely what they seem. There are layers. The notes of the melody tell one story; the chords nudge the musicians someplace else, a realm where theory lessons are of limited value and instinct matters more than intellect. To thrive in this place, the musicians have to relinquish the tricks of the jazz trade – the lightning-fast bebop runs, the killer licks they lean on to navigate chord changes. The tune, simple though it may be, comes with its own specific language – a trait it shares with many of Shorter’s pieces. Before diving into the conversation, the improviser has to discover the specific quirks of the form, its textures and temperament. How challenging is this? Even Shorter, who wrote the tune, sometimes struggles. He begins “Speak No Evil” by repeating a deftly tongued single note over and over, as though chopping his way into new territory. Shorter’s first few lines are simple declarations with a smidgen of blues in them – he’s not thinking about solo hijinks, he’s just trying to hang with the slalom course that is his creation. As he steers around tight curves, his lines coalesce into a kind of spontaneous lyricism – he’s singing through the horn, linking seemingly disconnected phrases into one (!) hauntingly memorable chorus. The subsequent soloists embrace his melody-first example when improvising: trumpeter Freddie Hubbard blows wistful then tender then fierce; pianist Herbie Hancock follows spry modal lines into quiet introspective corners.
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This subtle “guiding” of soloists is a crucial component of Speak No Evil, and much of Wayne Shorter’s compositional output. The last of three monumental works Shorter recorded in 1964 (the others are Night Dreamer and Juju), this album frequently turns up on shortlists of essential jazz, and one reason is Shorter’s ability to coax those around him out of their comfort zones, and into new ways of playing. Shorter’s melodies encourage musicians to stretch, and so do his vividly imagined harmonic environments – playgrounds, really. No other jazz figure found such innovative ways to balance hard bop rhythmic fire against delicately loosened (yet, crucially, still tonal) harmony. And where some contemporaries built brainy maze-like contraptions, Shorter went straight for the heart, trusting that the poignancy he embedded in his structures would stir something similar within the soloists. The moods he explores here are deep and absorbing, far from typical jazz club fare: “Dance Cadaverous” offers a macabre tour of a haunted house (or, perhaps, a haunted mind), while the keening octaves of “Infant Eyes” sketch human vulnerability with a rare sustained empathy. Incredibly, these pieces become deeper and thicker in the solo passages, as each of the players gingerly endeavors to enhance the beauty already on the page.
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That’s what every composer wants – the chance for the vague notions he scribbles on paper to take root, expand and blossom as music. Shorter managed that with astounding consistency over the years, creating a songbook that’s regularly described as the “mother lode” of jazz composition. That songbook has many riches – some are stone simple, some merely sound simple, and some are deceptively sophisticated and complex. It’s a vast trove of heady music, and the high-level sorcery at work within Speak No Evil is a great way to begin exploring it. – Blue Note
Label: Blue Note – 0744042, UMe – 0744042, Blue Note – 84194, Blue Note – ST-84194, Blue Note – BST 84194 |
Series: Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g |
Released: 15 Jan 2021 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Post Bop, Modal |
$39.00
New on the Blue Note classic vinyl series! Great sounding reissue of a solid hard bop classic.
“One of Blue Note's greatest mainstream hard bop dates, Song for My Father is Horace Silver's signature LP and the peak of a discography already studded with classics. Silver was always a master at balancing jumping rhythms with complex harmonies for a unique blend of earthiness and sophistication, and Song for My Father has perhaps the most sophisticated air of all his albums. Part of the reason is the faintly exotic tint that comes from Silver's flowering fascination with rhythms and modes from overseas -- the bossa nova beat of the classic "Song for My Father," for example, or the Eastern-flavored theme of "Calcutta Cutie," or the tropical-sounding rhythms of "Que Pasa?" Subtle touches like these alter Silver's core sound just enough to bring out its hidden class, which is why the album has become such a favorite source of upscale ambience.” - AllMusic
Label: Blue Note – 0744043, UMe – 0744043, Blue Note – 84185, Blue Note – ST-84185, Blue Note – BST 84185 |
Series: Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g |
Released: 15 Jan 2021 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Hard Bop, Latin Jazz |
$60.00
The simmering groove of the 10-minute opening title track of Duke Pearson’s magnificent 1968 album The Phantom sets the stage for one of the most under-recognized gems of the Blue Note catalog. The pianist, composer, arranger, and Blue Note stalwart assembled a superb cast of musicians including vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, flutist Jerry Dodgion, guitarists Sam Brown and Al Gafa, bassist Bob Cranshaw and the magnificent percussion team of Mickey Roker, Victor Pantojo and “Potato” Valdes on drums and congas. Other highlights include the crisp bossa beat of “Los Ojos Alegres (The Happy Eyes)” and the tender “Say You're Mine,” which first appeared on Donald Byrd’s album The Cat Walk. – Blue Note
Label: Blue Note – B0031883-01, Blue Note – BST 84293 |
Series: Blue Note Tone Poet Series – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g |
Country: US |
Released: 30 Oct 2020 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Soul-Jazz, Modal |
$48.00
What happens when you combine Stanley Turrentine’s blues-drenched tenor saxophone with Les McCann’s soulful and funky piano? You end up with one of both men's best albums, an album considered to be one of the foundational sessions of soul jazz. Turrentine and McCann are joined by bassist Herbie Lewis (a member of McCann’s group at the time) and drummer Otis “Candy” Finch. Stand out tracks include “Smile, Stacey,” the deep blue groove of “Soft Pedal Blues” and the in-the-pocket soul of “Light Blue.” - Blue Note
Label: Blue Note – B0031592-01, Blue Note – BST 84096, Blue Note – ST-84096, Blue Note – 84096 |
Series: Blue Note Tone Poet Series – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g, Gatefold |
Country: US |
Released: 11 Sep 2020 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Hard Bop |
$45.00
Different worlds have always collided in the sound of GoGo Penguin. The Manchester-based trio conjure richly atmospheric music that draws from their shared love of electronica, their grounding in classical conservatoires and jazz ensembles alongside indie bands, and a merging of acoustic and electronic techniques. Over the past few years, it has earned them rapturous responses all over the world—The New York Times highlighted them as one of the 12 best bands at SXSW 2017—and proved that they’re just as at home playing to muddy festival goers as jazz fans. A Humdrum Star builds on the heady momentum of its acclaimed predecessors—the 2014 Mercury Prize-nominated V2.0 and their 2016 Blue Note debut Man Made Object—and transports it to new realms.
“I think we felt even more liberated on this album—and I think there’s more of each of us on it,” says bassist Nick Blacka. Their latest material reveals both native turf and far-flung influences. They evoke the symbiotic flow between Nick, pianist Chris Illingworth, and drummer Rob Turner, as well as their seasoned relationship with producer and sound engineer Joe Reiser (credited as the “fourth member” of GGP, both on tour and in the studio) and co-producer Brendan Williams. As with previous albums, these tracks stemmed from a love of electronic music, whether collectively developed from “sketches” written by Rob on DJ/producer tech including Logic and Ableton, or composed on the bass or at the piano. That electro-acoustic tension pulses throughout the new album.
“We started with this idea of ‘inner and outer’, and opposing things that are essentially the same,” says Rob. “A lot of the textures and sounds do come from the electronic writing, but Brendan also wanted everything to be made as organically as possible.”
There is poetry and precision in GoGo Penguin’s new work—and intimacy and vastness. Their titles tend to speak volumes, in tandem with their evocative instrumentals. They’d actually completed the new album’s track-listing before settling on the name for A Humdrum Star—yet it captures a distinctive tone. It’s taken from a quote by American astrophysicist Carl Sagan from his 1980 TV series Cosmos: “Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people.” - Blue Note
Label: Blue Note – 06025 6716430 2 |
Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, 180 grams |
Country: Europe |
Released: 09 Feb 2018 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Contemporary Jazz |
$39.00
Formidable pianist Robert Glasper joins the ranks of jazz bandleaders and project-makers, alongside Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, Stefon Harris and others, who deftly juggle acoustic “mainstream” jazz with more plugged-in and groove-lined sounds. But whereas other musicians often separate out those instincts into different bands and recordings, Glasper dares to mix and match the personae on this novel twofer album.
Playing up the conceptual quirk of the venture, splitting the album between tracks by his acoustic trio (with bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Chris Dave) and the Robert Glasper Experiment (with Dave and electric bassist Derrick Hodge), Glasper includes voicemail cameos from Terence Blanchard and the Roots’ Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson, both vying for his presence in different settings and venues. Clearly Glasper has both approaches well covered, extending energy, intrigue and grace on both grand piano and Fender Rhodes. – Jazz Times
Label: Blue Note – B0022335-01 |
Series: Blue Note Records 75th Anniversary Vinyl Initiative – |
Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Limited Edition, Reissue, Remastered |
Country: US |
Released: 19 Feb 2015 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Contemporary Jazz |
$39.00
Dexter Gordon was on a roll in 1962 when he recorded A Swingin' Affair. Two days earlier he and this same quartet recorded his classic album Go!; the band included pianist Sonny Clark, bassist Butch Warren, and drummer Billy Higgins. Gordon wrote two of the set's six tunes, the first of which, the Afro-Cuban-flavored "Soy Califa," is a burner. Higgins' drumming double-times the band as Gordon lays out the melody -- even his solo doesn't stray far from it and he returns to it repetitively. Clark vamps with beautiful minor-key chords that he then adds to his own solo, moving all around the lyric with his right hand. And Higgins and Warren are truly wonderful on this one. There are also three standards here. Gordon was always a master of them because his own approach to improvisation was essentially one of melodic invention. "Don't Explain" is ushered in by Clark stating the changes; Gordon's low and slow playing is romantic and sensual. On "You Stepped Out of a Dream," Gordon and Clark take the melody and invert it in the bridge; they turn it into a kind of groove as Higgins plays Latin-tinged rhythms throughout. Warren's "The Backbone" is a hard bop groover with a bossa nova flavor, as he and Gordon twin on the tune's head before Dex moves off into his solo. It's easily the best thing here. This is a hot hard bop band, playing a program that's relaxed and mostly upbeat; they even manage to stretch a bit. – All Music
Label: Blue Note – ST-84133, Elemental Music – ERLP 1001 |
Series: Blue Note Collection – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Reissue, Limited Edition, 180 Gram |
Country: Europe |
Released: 2013 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Hard Bop |
$39.00
Recorded when he was only 19, Candy was one of the first albums (along with The Cooker, recorded the same year) where Lee Morgan showed his own unique style. His prodigal technical virtuosity had already been proven at this time in the Dizzy Gilliespie band, but Morgan's first solo ventures had been remarkable only because of his young age. Here, the influence of some of Morgan's mentors can be seen, but instead of just emulating the style of older trumpeters like Clifford Brown, he has begun absorbing bits and pieces of the phrasing and style of a wide range of musicians, from Gillespie to Miles Davis, then using them to forge his own sound. Morgan places himself front and center here -- there are no other horns to carry the melodic lines, leaving him quite exposed, but he manages to perform beautifully. – All Music
Label: Blue Note – BLP 1590, Elemental Music – ERLP 1021 |
Series: Blue Note Collection – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Mono, 180 Gram |
Country: Europe |
Released: 2015 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Hard Bop |
$39.00
Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard burst upon the Blue Note scene in June 1960 with his auspicious debut album Open Sesame. Within 6 months Hubbard had already recorded a follow-up (Goin’ Up) and appeared as a sideman on sessions with Tina Brooks (True Blue), Hank Mobley (Roll Call), Kenny Drew (Undercurrent), and Jackie McLean (Bluesnik). Hubbard’s bravado style was already fully formed on Open Sesame with his brilliant tone and jaw-dropping technical prowess at the helm of sterling quintet with tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Clifford Jarvis. Highlights of the set include the hard-charging title track, a stunning ballad performance on “But Beautiful,” and a grooving version of “One Mint Julep.” – Blue Note
Label: Blue Note – ST-84040, Elemental Music – ERLP 1045 |
Series: Blue Note Collection – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, 180 Gram |
Country: Spain |
Released: 2016 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Hard Bop, Modal |
$39.00
Royal Flush is a winning hand played by trumpeter Donald Byrd, arguably the best recording date under his leadership.
The opener, Byrd's "Hush," sets the tone for the entire session, which emphasizes uncommon restraint, nuance and subtlety without for an instant losing its soul. An infectious, gospel-inflected blues in C, "Hush" opens with a rhythmic structural pattern that is maintained through each of the solos: eight bars of stop time (in the manner of the Harlem Globetrotters' "Sweet Georgia Brown"), followed by a four-bar shuffle-rhythm trailer. Byrd's minimalist, alternately sly and plaintive solo serves to set the stage for the laconic statements of Pepper Adams' baritone sax and Hancock's piano which, contrary to expectations, reveals not the slightest trace of overplaying on what must have felt like a momentous occasion for the recent college graduate.
"I'm A Fool To Want You," the only standard on the program, is both ballad- and trumpet-playing of the highest order. If it truly was Ava Gardner who elicited from Sinatra the torch song that has frequently been called his most deeply felt performance, she must have had the same impact on Donald Byrd, who turns in the instrumental equivalent of Sinatra's reading, right down to Old Blue's "breathless" phrasing. The trumpeter takes the song through only once, melding extraordinary technique with sensitive musicianship when he employs circular breathing to extend the two most important notes of the bridge, practically effecting the suspension of time at the point where the lyric laments a love lost.– All About Jazz
Label: Blue Note – ST-84101, Elemental Music – ERLP 1019
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Series: Blue Note Collection –
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Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo, 180 Gram
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Country: Europe
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Released: 2015
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Genre: Jazz
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Style: Hard Bop, Soul-Jazz, Post Bop
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$39.00
Among 33 albums recorded with American jazz, blues, soul and funk trumpeter Blue Mitchell as a leader, Bring It Home To Me from 1966 is the thirteenth. This is not only an excellent album, but also the artistic peak of Mitchell's discography. The album mixes modal harmonies, lyrical moments and groovy, even funky rhythms. This album is very rare on LP format and very hard to find with a restored analog sound. Blue Mitchell is here joined by Junior Cook on tenor, Harold Mabern on piano, Gene Taylor on bass and the great Billy Higgins on drums. The artistic direction is strong, the aesthetic is powerful. – Forced Exposure
Label: Blue Note – BST-84228, Elemental Music – ERLP 1038 |
Series: Blue Note Collection – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo, 180 Gram |
Country: Europe |
Released: 2016 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Hard Bop |
$39.00
Brown Sugar marks a turning point for Freddie Roach: It's the moment he decided to get dirty, funky, and soulful. Previously, he had plenty of funk in his playing, but he was tasteful, at times a little bit too tasteful. On Brown Sugar, he simply burns. The album is devoted to blues, R&B, and soul, with the title track (the lone original on the album) functioning as a rallying cry of sorts. Roach is hotter than ever, but he never overplays or overloads the organ; whether it's slow blues or smoking R&B, he gets deep into the groove and works it hard, without neglecting to contribute compelling solos. And if you're looking for compelling solos, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson proves that he is as exceptional with R&B and soul-jazz as he is with hard bop. Clarence Johnston, Roach's longtime drummer, provides stable support and guitarist Eddie Wright has his moments as well, helping make Brown Sugar the standout item in Roach's catalog. – All Music
Label: Blue Note – ST-84168, Elemental Music – ERLP 1046 |
Series: Blue Note Collection – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo, 180 gram |
Country: Europe |
Released: 2016 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Soul-Jazz |
$39.00
For his third album on Blue Note, Big John Patton decided to expand his band to quintet. Retaining the services of his longtime colleagues, guitarist Grant Green and drummer Ben Dixon, he hired tenor saxophonist Fred Jackson (who also played on the previous work "Along Came John") and trumpeter Richard Williams. – All Music
Label: Blue Note – BST 84174, Elemental Music – ERLP 1040 |
Series: Blue Note Collection – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 180 Gram |
Country: Europe |
Released: 2016 |
Genre: Jazz |
$39.00
Grant Green always brought out the best in Big John Patton. Almost any record that featured the guitarist and organist was dominated by their scintillating interplay, and it always sounded like they were trying to top each other's blistering, funky solos. Patton and Green rarely sounded better than they did on Got a Good Thing Goin', a 1966 session that functioned as a showcase for the pair's dynamic interaction and exciting, invigorating solos. In particular, the duo's mastery is evident because there are no horns to stand in the way -- only drummer Hugh Walker and conga player Richard Landrum provide support, leaving plenty of room for Green and Patton to run wild. All five numbers -- two originals by Patton and Green, two pop covers ("Ain't That Peculiar," "Shake"), and Duke Pearson's "Amanda" -- are simple blues and soul-jazz songs that provide ample space for the guitarist and organist to stretch out. And they do stretch out -- as a pair, they have never sounded so fiery or intoxicating. – All Music
Label: Elemental Music – ERLP 1029, Blue Note – ST-84229 |
Series: Blue Note Collection – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Stereo, 180 Gram |
Country: Europe |
Released: 2016 |
Genre: Jazz, Funk / Soul |
Style: Jazz-Funk |
$39.00
By the time drummer Pete La Roca recorded his debut album Basra in 1965 he had already appeared on 9 Blue Note sessions as a sideman and spent time in bands led by Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. But it was another tenor titan, Joe Henderson, that La Roca brought in as the sole horn voice to front a dynamic quartet that was completed by what liner note writer Ira Gitler called “one of the most attuned rhythm sections in jazz” featuring bassist Steve Swallow and pianist Steve Kuhn. The resulting album is one of the great underrated gems of the Blue Note catalog featuring an expansive 6-track set that includes 3 compositions by La Roca (“Basra” “Candu” “Tears Come from Heaven”), Swallow’s tune “Eiderdown,” “Malagueña” by Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona, and a stunning ballad performance of the standard “Lazy Afternoon.”
This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal. – Blue Note Records
Label: Blue Note – 0838650, UMe – 0838650, Blue Note – 00602508386503, UMe – 00602508386503, Blue Note – BST 84205, Blue Note – ST-84205, Blue Note – 84205 |
Series: Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g |
Country: USA & Europe |
Released: 31 Jan 2020 |
Genre: Jazz |
$39.00
After his six years with the seminal John Coltrane Quartet, the mighty drummer Elvin Jones signed with Blue Note Records in 1968 and made a series of 10 fantastic albums including 1972’s Mr. Jones, produced by Francis Wolff and George Butler, and featuring saxophonists Dave Liebman, Steve Grossman, and Pepper Adams, Thad Jones on flugelhorn, pianist Jan Hammer, bassist Gene Perla, and percussionists Carlos “Patato” Valdes, Frank Ippolito, and Albert Duffy. The music delves into expansive post-bop with Latin influences and includes an impassioned version of Tadd Dameron’s gorgeous ballad “Soultrane” in dedication to Coltrane.
This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal. – Blue Note
Label: Blue Note – BN-LA110-F |
Series: Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered, 180g |
Country: US |
Released: 13 Mar 2020 |
Genre: Jazz |
$48.00
Recorded in May 1970, this smoldering set of funky soul-jazz by the great organist Lonnie Smith went unreleased until 1995. Captured live at Club Mozambique in Detroit just 5 months after Smith recorded his excellent Blue Note album Drives, this live date featured a similar line-up with tenor saxophonist Dave Hubbard, baritone saxophonist Ronnie Cuber, and drummer Joe Dukes, with the notable difference being the presence of guitarist George Benson here.
On this 2LP set the band stretches out on 6 Smith originals including “I Can’t Stand It” & “Play It Back” along with covers of the Sly Stone song “I Want To Thank You” & Miles Davis’ “Seven Steps to Heaven.” This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal. - Blue Note
Tracklist:
A1: I Can't Stand It
A2: Expression
B1: Scream
B2: Play It Back
C1: Love Bowl
C2: Peace Of Mind
D1: I Want To Thank You
D2: Seven Steps To Heaven
Label: Blue Note – 0822932, UMe – 0822932, Blue Note – 00602508229329, UMe – 00602508229329, Blue Note – 31180 |
Series: Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series – |
Format: 2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g |
Country: USA & Europe |
Released: 13 Dec 2019 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Fusion, Jazz-Funk |
$39.00
Grant Green's debut album, Grant's First Stand, still ranks as one of his greatest pure soul-jazz outings, a set of killer grooves laid down by a hard-swinging organ trio. For having such a small lineup, just organist Baby Face Willette and drummer Ben Dixon -- the group cooks up quite a bit of power, really sinking its teeth into the storming up-tempo numbers, and swinging loose and easy on the ballads. From the first note of "Miss Ann's Tempo," they establish a groove, and swing like hell through two standards and four originals. This may have been Grant Green's debut album, but all three of these musicians share equal responsibility in this magnificent January 28, 1961 date, remastered by original recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder from the original analog masters.
This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal. – Blue Note
Label: Blue Note – 7745061, UMe – 7745061, Blue Note – 00602577450617, UMe – 00602577450617, Blue Note – BST 84064, Blue Note – ST-84064, Blue Note – 84064 |
Series: Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g |
Country: USA & Europe |
Released: 14 Jun 2019 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Hard Bop, Soul-Jazz |
$39.00
Flutist Bobbi Humphrey found wide success with Blacks and Blues (1973), her breakout third album for Blue Note, working with the Mizell Brothers (who had recently hooked up with Donald Byrd to produce the trumpeter’s landmark album Black Byrd) to create a jazz-funk classic for the ages featuring the standout track “Harlem River Drive.” Humphrey’s alluring flute and breezy vocals paired with Larry Mizell’s compelling R&B jazz fusion compositions and production proved a winning combination that would lead to future collaborations on Humphrey’s albums Satin Doll and Fancy Dancer.
This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal. – Blue Note
Label: Blue Note – 7752697, UMe – 7752697, Blue Note – 00602577526978, UMe – 00602577526978, Blue Note – BN-LA142-G |
Series: Blue Note 80 Vinyl Reissue Series – |
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g |
Country: USA & Europe |
Released: 2019 |
Genre: Jazz |
Style: Jazz-Funk |
$39.00
“When Hammond master Lonnie Smith recorded this set for Blue Note in 1968, he was better known as a supporting sideman on performances and recordings by (among others) George Benson and especially Lou Donaldson; some of Sweet Lou's best recordings, including Alligator Boogaloo, Midnight Creeper, and Everything I Play is Funky, feature Smith's supple Hammond grooves.
Other musicians must have found Smith's musicianship worthy of respect, for this session convenes a gathering that's the perfect snapshot of the classic late-1960s jazz-funk ensemble: Bennie Maupin (tenor sax), Julian Priester (trombone), and Lee Morgan (trumpet) in the front line, with guitarist Melvin Sparks and drummer Idris Muhammad smooth in the pocket.” – All About Jazz
Item description:
Artist: |
Lonnie Smith |
Title: |
Turning Point |
Label: |
Blue Note |
Format: |
Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue |
Pressing: |
US |
Release Date: |
This reissue: 2009 | Original: 1969 |
Genre: |
Jazz |
Style: |
Soul-Jazz |
Catalog No: |
BLP 4313 |
Condition: |
New |
$39.00
“Saxophonist and composer Marcus Strickland is a seasoned veteran who helped to pioneer this new rhythm and production aesthetic in jazz with 2006's double-length Twi-Life and 2016's brilliant, Meshell Ndegeocello-produced Nihil Novi, his debut for Blue Note. Since then, Strickland has toured the globe as a headliner with Twi-Life (keyboardist Mitch Henry, bassist Kyle Miles, and drummer Charles Haynes) and as part of the Blue Note All-Stars. On many levels, People of the Sun picks up where Nihil Novi left off, but goes deeper and wider. The previous set was deeply influenced by Strickland's cultural and musical upbringing. As a child he was exposed to both Afro-Caribbean traditional and popular sounds as well as Southern rap, Motown, John Coltrane, and George Clinton's P-Funk enterprise. Those sounds and many others entwine inside groove-laden post-bop, modal, and contemporary jazz frameworks while extending and subverting the entire jazz tradition. In addition to his bandmates, Strickland enlisted close collaborator and trumpet ace Keyon Harrold and Cuban session percussionist Weedie Braimah.” – All Music
Item description:
Artist: |
Marcus Strickland Twi-Life |
Title: |
People of the Sun |
Label: |
Blue Note, Revive Music |
Format: |
Vinyl, LP, Stereo |
Pressing: |
USA & Canada |
Release Date: |
29th November 2018 |
Genre: |
Jazz, Funk / Soul |
Style: |
Contemporary Jazz |
Catalog No: |
B002898301 |
Condition: |
New |
$39.00
“Complete Communion is a 1966 album by American jazz composer Don Cherry, his first release on Blue Note Records.
Each side of the original LP were suites, side-long compositions working with several themes. Critics have proposed this recording as an important innovation in the free jazz of the time, introducing "an alternative both to athematic improvising and to monothematic pieces".” – Wiki
“Not counting a couple of sessions he co-led with John Coltrane and Albert Ayler, Complete Communion was the first album Don Cherry recorded as a leader following his departure from the Ornette Coleman Quartet. It was also one of the earliest showcases for the Argentinian tenor saxophonist Gato Barbieri, who Cherry discovered during a stay in Rome. While the music on Complete Communion was still indebted to Coleman's concepts, Cherry injected enough of his own personality to begin differentiating himself as a leader. He arranged the original LP as two continuous side-long suites, each of which incorporated four different compositions and was recorded in a single take.” – All Music
Item description:
Artist: |
Don Cherry |
Title: |
Complete Communion |
Label: |
Blue Note |
Format: |
Vinyl, LP, Repress |
Pressing: |
US |
Release Date: |
This reissue: 2015| Original: 1966 |
Genre: |
Jazz |
Style: |
Free Jazz, Post Bop |
Catalog No: |
BST 84226 |
Condition: |
New |
$39.00
Good Gracious! is an album by jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson recorded for the Blue Note label in 1963 and performed by Donaldson with Grant Green, Big John Patton, and Ben Dixon. – Wiki
"Good Gracious may be Lou Donaldson's record, but guitarist Grant Green and organist John Patton steal the show. Working with a tight, soulful groove laid down by drummer Ben Dixon, the guitarist and organist trade hot lines that often steal the thunder from Donaldson, who nevertheless turns in a robust, tuneful performance. Donaldson's tone is richer and fuller than it is on many of his early-'60s records, and he really connects with the laid-back R&B grooves and soul-jazz vamps on Good Gracious, turning in melodic, memorable solos. However, Grant and Patton take the songs even further with their intense solos and fills; Patton, in particular, sounds on fire even when the tempo is mellow. Good Gracious still falls prey to some of the lazy tempos that pop up on most Lou Donaldson records, but it remains one of his finest soul-jazz sessions." – allmusic
Item description:
Artist: |
Lou Donaldson |
Title: |
Good Gracious! |
Label: |
Blue Note |
Format: |
Vinyl, LP, Album, Repress, Stereo |
Pressing: |
US |
Release Date: |
2013 | Original: Jan 1963 |
Genre: |
|
Style: |
Bop |
Catalog No: |
ST-84125 |
Condition: |
New |