Featured

My Point of View is pianist & composer Herbie Hancock’s remarkably assured second album for Blue Note. Featuring a program of Hancock compositions, this session from 1963 has a wondrous all-star cast: Donald Byrd on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone, Grachan Moncur III on trombone, Grant Green on guitar, Chuck Israels on bass, and Tony Williams on drums, who was just 17 at the time of this recording. The sheer musicality of My Point of View is breathtaking, with Hancock demonstrating his arranging prowess. While “Blind Man, Blind Man takes” its cue from Hancock’s prior hit “Watermelon Man,” this session also contains truly essential Hancock compositions such as “King Cobra,” “A Tribute To Someone,” and the bluesy “And What If I Don’t.” – Blue Note 

Jimmy Smith revolutionized the use of the Hammond B-3 organ in jazz during the mid-1950s. Arguably his finest recorded moments came during the sessions he recorded with tenor saxophone giant Stanley Turrentine in the early 1960s which helped define soul jazz.Recorded in 1963, Prayer Meetin’ is brimming with the kind of late-night soulful blues grooves that made the Smith and Turrentine collaborations such classics. Highlights of the session include the incredible interplay between Smith, Turrentine, guitarist Quentin Warren, and drummer Donald Bailey on the title track and “Red Top,” while Turrentine delivers a ballad tour-de-force on “I Almost Lost My Mind.” – Blue Note 

This quartet session from 1965, has long been considered one of Wayne’s finest studio albums, even though it remained unreleased until 1980. Etcetera features all Shorter compositions, with the exception of Gil Evan’s passionate Barracudas. Wayne's Indian Song takes its place as one of Shorter’s most intensely hypnotizing compositions. Etcetera is one of the true highlights of the Shorter discography. – Blue Note

Further Explorations documents hard-bop pioneer Horace Silver’s quintet featuring Art Farmer on trumpet, Clifford Jordan on tenor saxophone, Teddy Kotick on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums. One can always expect a Horace Silver date to groove, but this session from January 1958 is particularly inspired, with the pianist penning all but one of the compositions. “The Outlaw” is one of Silver’s most irrepressible creations with brilliant solos from Jordan, Farmer, and Silver. “Moon Rays” is what Silver referred to as a “walking ballad” that gives the band plenty of room to stretch out. – Blue Note

Kenny Dorham’s 1964 album Trompeta Toccata would be the final album that the great underrated trumpeter and composer would record as a leader, and it stands as a fitting testament to his prodigious talent. The album featured a stellar quintet with Dorham and his frequent collaborator Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone along with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath. The brilliant album cover design by Reid Miles featured the bold typography that made his style so influential.

-

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

After trumpeter Lee Morgan set the music world on fire with the runaway success of his hit soul-jazz single “The Sidewinder” in 1964, many artists tried to duplicate his triumphant feat in search of another boogaloo sensation. Even Morgan himself cooked up funky follow-ups using “The Sidewinder” recipe including “The Rumproller,” which was recorded the next year. Beyond the groovy title tune (which was written by Andrew Hill) the quintet featuring Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Ronnie Mathews on piano, Victor Sproles on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums traverses diverse territory from the post-bop of “Desert Moonlight” to the calypso of “Eclipso” to the mournful closing ballad “The Lady” dedicated to Billie Holiday. The ingenious album cover design by Reid Miles is a memorable example of the brilliant typography that made his style so influential.

-

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

Legendary labels Decca Records and Blue Note have joined forces for Blue Note Re:imagined; a brand-new collection of 16 classic Blue Note tracks, reworked and newly recorded by a selection of the UK scene’s most exciting young talents. Representing a bridge between the ground-breaking label’s past and future, the project will feature contributions from a rollcall of internationally acclaimed jazz, soul and R&B acts including Shabaka Hutchings, Ezra Collective, Nubya Garcia, Mr Jukes, Steam Down, Skinny Pelembe, Emma-Jean Thackray, Poppy Ajudha, Jordan Rakei and Brit Award-winning Jorja Smith. – Blue Note

This impassioned quintet session from 1964 weaves elements of post-bop and free jazz into a supremely spirited program of original compositions by Jackie McLean and the young trumpet sensation Charles Tolliver. McLean and Tolliver were joined by pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Roy Haynes. While the music was classified as “the new thing” at the time, the searing cry of the blues is ever-present in McLean’s brilliant alto saxophone playing. The artwork is one of Reid Miles’ most memorable cover designs. – Blue Note

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

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

Like Eric Dolphy before him, Jackie McLean sought to create a kind of vanguard "chamber jazz" that still had the blues feel and -- occasionally -- the groove of hard bop, though with rounded, moodier edges. Destination Out! was the album on which he found it. Still working with Grachan Moncur III and Bobby Hutcherson -- his direct spiritual connection to Dolphy -- McLean changed his rhythm section by employing drummer Roy Haynes and bassist Larry Ridley. This combination proved a perfect balance of the four elements. The program is four tunes, three of which were written by Moncur. If there was a perfect Blue Note session after John Coltrane's Blue Train, this was it. Opening with a ballad was a novel idea in 1966, but McLean uses Moncur's love and hate to reveal all the tonal possibilities within this group of musicians, and the textural interplay that exists in the heightened sense of form, time breaks, and rhythm changes. As begun on One Step Beyond, the notion of interval is key in this band, and an elemental part of Moncur's composition. The horn lines are spare, haunting, warm, and treated as textural elements by Hutcherson's vibes. On the tune "Esoteric," Hutcherson and Haynes throw complex rhythmic figures into the mix. Moncur's writing is angular, resembling Ornette's early-'60s melodic notions more than Coltrane's modal considerations. Hutcherson's solo amid the complex, knotty melodic frame is just sublime. "Khalil the Prophet" is McLean's only contribution compositionally to the album, but it's a fine one. Using a hard bop lyric and a shape-shifting sense of harmonic interplay between the three front-line players, McLean moves deeply into a blues groove without giving into mere 4/4 time structures. The architecture of his solo is wonderfully obtuse, playing an alternating series of eighths, 12ths, and even 16ths against Hutcherson's wide-open comping and arpeggio runs. The set ends with Moncur's "Riff Raff," a strolling blues that makes full use of counterpoint on the vibes. Moncur sets his solo against McLean's melodic engagement of Hutcherson, forcing both men into opposition positions that get resolved in a sultry, funky, shimmering blues groove. Of all of McLean's Blue Note dates, so many of which are classic jazz recordings, Destination Out! stands as the one that reveals the true soulfulness and complexity of his writing, arranging, and "singing" voice. – All Music

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

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

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

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

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

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

On September 17, 1962, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach gathered at Sound Makers studio in NYC and recorded Money Jungle, one of the most celebrated jazz trio albums of all time. Generational and stylistic differences between the three masters led to fearless music-making of the highest order. The album was originally released on United Artists and featured 7 of Ellington’s indelible compositions including “Caravan,” “Solitude,” and a stunning version of “Le Fleurs Africaines (African Flower).” By going back to the original analog stereo master the Tone Poet Edition presents this classic album with superior sound quality. – Blue Note

After his 2016 return to Blue Note where he first made a name for himself with a run of classic soul jazz albums between 1968-70, Hammond B-3 organ legend Dr. Lonnie Smith recorded All In My Mind during his 75th birthday celebration in July 2017 at the Jazz Standard in New York City with guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg and drummer Jonathan Blake. The album gets its first-time vinyl release with this 5-song Tone Poet Edition which features spirited interpretations of songs by Wayne Shorter (“Juju”), Freddie Hubbard (“Up Jumped Spring”) Paul Simon (“50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”), and more. – Blue Note

View the other tone poet series we have here

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

Recorded in 1958, Minor Move was Tina Brooks’ very first recording, though it wasn’t released until 1980, 6 years after his tragic death at the age of 42. In fact, Brooks’ 1960 classic True Blue was the saxophonist’s only album released during his all-too-short lifetime. Once all 4 of Brooks’ Blue Note albums were released his status as one of the most innovative tenor saxophone stylists in jazz has become clear. As Larry Kart notes in the album liners, Brooks’ sound, with its prayerful, airy and speech-like tone, sets him apart. “Brooks was one of those musicians for whom feeling and sound were one.” On this set featuring 2 Brooks originals and 3 standards, the saxophonist is joined by a veritable who’s who of hard bop royalty with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Sonny Clark on piano, Doug Watkins on bass, and Art Blakey on drums. – Blue Note

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

Canvas is pianist Robert Glasper's second recording, and his first on Blue Note. He's joined by bassist Vincente Archer and drummer Damion Reid for the main portion of Canvas, while tenor Mark Turner and vocalist Bilal make two appearances each. Perhaps the first thing a listener might note of Glasper's style on the original, "Rise and Shine," is its rich, melodic flavor. While this lyricism alone would draw the listener in, it's Glasper's ability to develop new ideas as the piece progresses, adding complexity to his lyricism, that really recommends his approach. In the case of the title cut, Glasper and company keep the composition intriguing for nearly ten minutes. It's also nice on Canvas that both Archer and Reid match Glasper's adventurousness, providing an intricate net that both supports his solos and drives them onward. Turner blends effortlessly into the band on the title cut and Herbie Hancock's "Riot," adding a slightly bigger sound and turning in fine lead work. The vocals come rather late in the program on tracks seven and ten, and are not typically what one might expect from vocals (even in jazz). Instead, Bilal's wordless drone, hum, and smooth choral backing mixes like an additional instrument that adds another textural element to the music. Canvas also sounds great, and producer Eli Wolf has done a fine job putting these elements together into an organic whole. Canvas is both melodic and adventurous, and will please both Glasper's fans and anyone who appreciates good piano jazz. – All Music

Trumpeter Donald Byrd and baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams had a formidable partnership throughout the early 1960s, making a series of highly regarded hard bop albums. Yet somehow this masterful quintet session from April 1961 (which also features Herbie Hancock, sounding exceptionally fine on his very first Blue Note recording session) remained unreleased for nearly 20 years. Of particular note are Herbie’s playing on “Great God” and the sophisticated excellence the entire ensemble brings to Duke Pearson’s masterpiece composition “Chant.” - Blue Note 

Introducing Kenny Burrell put the jazz world on notice in 1956 that an extraordinary new guitarist was on the scene who combined bebop and the blues with smoky aplomb. Burrell is accompanied on this stellar set of original and standard compositions by Tommy Flanagan on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, bebop icon Kenny Clarke on drums along with the percussion sensation from Cuba, Candido. This legendary session launched the career of one of the giants of modern jazz guitar who would go on to record his magnum opus Midnight Blue for Blue Note in 1963. – Blue Note