About

“Ike Quebec was one of the giants of 1940s jazz when his huge tone was a major part of Cab Callo-way's Orchestra. After some time off the scene, Quebec had a renaissance during 1960-62 with Blue Note, playing in his unchanged and timeless style, easily fitting in to settings with bop and hard bop all stars; there was no denying the power of his tone. Easy Living, a true rarity that was not fully released until 1987, showcases Quebec on ballads and blues. He makes every note count, and puts an enor-mous amount of feeling into each performance.

The ballads have Quebec joined by the quintessential rhythm section of Sonny Clark, Milt Hinton and Art Blakey while the blues add Stanley Turrentine and Bennie Green. No matter the song, Ike Quebec plays with such power and emotion that this is difficult music to forget.” - Music Matters

“These tracks are tight and well-written, with excellent solos from both Quebec and—with a more 1960s modern playing style—Turrentine. The opening "See See Rider" is a greasy slow chitlin circuit blues that sets the tone for the whole record. It's hard to go wrong with Mr. T on anything, and Sonny Clark's comping and occasional fills are shear perfection.

But the real meat of the album is on the last three tunes. Turrentine and Green bow out, leaving Quebec in the sole spotlight. His tone is warm, smooth and full, and his balladeering is second to none. "Nancy" possesses the kind of playing that never grows old: tender and emotive, but powerful too. It doesn't hurt that the recording captures the saxophone with exceptional realism, even if the overall recording retains that period Blue Note sound. The title track closes the date with more brilliant slow play, with Quebec showing his period roots. It's clear that he came from the school that began with Coleman Hawkins and later begat Lester Young and, especially, Ben Webster. That's a favorable comparison and Quebec plays as well as any of them.” - All About Jazz

Musicians:

• Ike Quebec - tenor saxophone
• Bennie Green - trombone
• Stanley Turrentine - tenor saxophone
• Sonny Clark - piano
• Milt Hinton - bass
• Art Blakey – drums

Tracklist:

A1        See See Rider    

A2        Congo Lament 

B1        Que's Pill         

C1        I've Got A Crush On You        

C2        Nancy  

D1       Easy Living

About Ike Quebec :

"Influenced by Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster but definitely his own person, Ike Quebec was one of the finest swing-oriented tenor saxman of the 1940s and '50s. Though he was never an innovator, Quebec had a big, breathy sound that was distinctive and easily recognizable, and he was quite consistent when it came to came to down-home blues, sexy ballads, and up-tempo aggression. Originally a pianist, Quebec switched to tenor in the early '40s and showed that he had made the right decision on excellent 78s for Blue Note and Savoy (including his hit "Blue Harlem"). As a sideman, he worked with Benny Carter, Kenny Clarke, Roy Eldridge, and Cab Calloway. In the late '40s, the saxman did a bit of freelancing behind the scenes as a Blue Note A&R man and brought Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell to the label. Drug problems kept Quebec from recording for most of the 1950s, but he made a triumphant comeback in the early '60s and was once again recording for Blue Note and doing freelance A&R for the company. Quebec was playing as authoritatively as ever well into 1962, giving no indication that he was suffering from lung cancer, which claimed his life at the age of 44 in 1963." ~ Alex Henderson – Blue Note Records

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