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Index of Labels
Browse by Label: BLUE NOTE
Artist:
HIPP WITH ZOOT SIMS, JUTTA
Title:
Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1530LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1956. Featuring Jerry Lloyd (trumpet), Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Jutta Hipp (piano, being hot), Ahmed Abdul-Malik (bass) and Ed Thigpen (drums). Hard bop with some worthy ballads (notably "Violets For Your Furs"), all instrumental.
Artist:
DORHAM, KENNY
Title:
Afro-Cuban
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1535LP
Regarded as one of the earliest, most informed mergers of jazz and Afro-Cuban musical influences, trumpeter Kenny Dorham's 1955 Blue Note release features the jazz recording debut of percussionist Carlos 'Patato' Valdés, as well as Cecil Payne, Hank Mobley, Oscar Pettiford and Percy Heath. Exact repro of the original release, featuring tracks "Afrodisia," "Lotus Flower," "Minor's Holiday," "Basheer's Dream," "K.D.'s Motion," "The Villa" and "Venita's Dance."
Artist:
MONTEROSE, J.R.
Title:
J.R. Monterose
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1536LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1956. Featuring Ira Sullivan (trumpet), Horace Silver (piano), Wilbur Ware (bass), "Philly" Joe Jones (drums) and Monterose (tenor sax). "J.R. Monterose's first session as a leader was a thoroughly enjoyable set of swinging, straight-ahead bop that revealed him as a saxophonist with a knack for powerful, robust leads in the vein of Sonny Rollins and Coleman Hawkins. With a stellar supporting group of pianist Horace Silver, trumpeter Ira Sullivan, bassist Wilbur Ware, and drummer 'Philly' Joe Jones, Monterose has recorded a set of bop that swings at a measured pace and offers many delightful moments. Throughout the session, Monterose sounds vigorous, whether he's delivering hard-swinging solos or waxing lyrical. With his bluesy vamps and soulful solos, Silver is equally impressive, while Sullivan's spotlights are alternately punchy and skilled; similarly, the rhythm section is tight, letting the music breathe while keeping the groove. In fact, the quality of the music is so strong, J.R. Monterose qualifies as one of the underappreciated gems in Blue Note's mid-'50s catalog." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
MORGAN, LEE
Title:
Indeed!
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1538LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1956. Featuring Clarence Sharpe (alto sax), Horace Silver (piano), Wilbur Ware (bass) and "Philly" Joe Jones (drums).
Artist:
MOBLEY, HANK
Title:
Hank
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1560LP
Originally released in 1957. Featuring Donald Byrd (trumpet), John Jenkins (alto sax), Bobby Timmons (piano), Wilbur Ware (bass) and "Philly" Joe Jones (drums).
Artist:
SABU
Title:
Palo Congo
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1561LP
Exact repro of the first album by Sabu Martinez, originally released in 1957. Thundering Afro-Cuban percussion bordering on ritualistic intensity.
Artist:
JORDAN, CLIFF
Title:
Cliff Jordan
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1565LP
Exact repro reissue of Clifford Jordan's second solo album for Blue Note, originally released in 1959. Featuring Lee Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), John Jenkins (alto sax), Cliff Jordan (tenor sax), Ray Bryant (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Art Taylor (drums). "Cliff has a strong, virile tone that is similar in essence to Sonny Rollins (a mighty influence on so many of today's young tenor men) but he is by no means an ersatz Rollins. His conception is personal, fresh and exciting and he will, no doubt, rank high..."
Artist:
MOBLEY, HANK
Title:
Hank Mobley
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1568LP
Originally released in 1957. Featuring Bill Hardman (trumpet), Curtis Porter (alto and tenor sax), Sonny Clark (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Art Taylor (drums).
Artist:
CLARK, SONNY
Title:
Dial 'S' For Sonny
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1570LP
Exact repro reissue of Sonny's 1957 album. "
Dial "S" for Sonny
, Sonny Clark's first session for Blue Note Records and his first session as a leader, is a terrific set of laidback bop, highlighted by Clark's liquid, swinging solos. Clark leads a first-rate group -- Art Farmer (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Wilbur Ware (bass), Louis Hayes (drums) -- through four originals and two standards, balancing the selections between swinging bop and reflective ballads. There are traces of Bud Powell in Clark's style, but he's beginning to come into his own, developing a style that's alternately edgy and charmingly relaxed. Mobley, Farmer and Fuller have their moments, but Clark steals the show in this set of fine, straight-ahead bop." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
MOBLEY/LEE MORGAN, HANK
Title:
Peckin' Time
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1574LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1958. "Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley was overshadowed by more influential tenors such as Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane during his career, but although he wasn't deliberately flashy or particularly innovative, his concisely measured, round sax tone made him the perfect ensemble player and he was a fine writer, as well, a talent who has often been undervalued and overlooked. The
Peckin' Time
session was recorded February 9, 1958 (the LP was issued a year later) and came in the midst of what was a period of whirlwind creativity for Mobley... For this session, Mobley found himself working with a young Lee Morgan on trumpet and in front of a fluid rhythm section that included pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Charlie Persip, and it's solid stuff, bright and always energetic. All but one of the tracks, a rendering of Kurt Weill's 'Speak Low,' were written by Mobley, and again, his hidden strength was always his writing, and it should probably come as no surprise that the best two tracks here, the title tune 'Peckin' Time' and the wonderful 'Stretchin' Out,' were both penned by Mobley." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
MORGAN, LEE
Title:
City Lights
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1575LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1957. "Benny Golson's writing for this date uplifts it beyond most of the jam session sets of the period. Trumpeter Lee Morgan (then 19) is in excellent form, holding his own with his impressive sidemen (trombonist Curtis Fuller, George Coleman on tenor and alto, pianist Ray Bryant, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor). Highlights include 'City Lights,' 'You're Mine You' and 'Just By Myself.'" -- All Music Guide
Artist:
CLARK, SONNY
Title:
Sonny's Crib
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1576LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1959. Featuring Donald Byrd (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), John Coltrane (tenor sax), Sonny Clark (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Art Taylor (drums). "Recorded in 1957,
Sonny's Crib
features a front line of Curtis Fuller, Donald Byrd, and John Coltrane with Sonny Clark on piano, Art Taylor on drums, and Paul Chambers on bass. Truly still a bebop recording, done a full year before the landmark Cool Struttin' session, nonetheless the set produced some awesome readings of classic tunes, like the opener, 'With a Song in My Heart,' with one of the knottiest Byrd solos ever. As Chambers and Taylor up the rhythmic ante and Clark comps with enormous chords in the background, the entire line solos, but it is Byrd's that is stunning in its complexity -- though Coltrane could play bebop as well as anybody. The most notable tracks on the session are the classic readings of Kurt Weill's 'Speak Low' and 'News for Lulu,' the latter of which has been adopted by John Zorn as his theme. On the former, Clark's rearrangement, with Coltrane leading the front line, is truly revelatory. Using a Latin rhythm in cut time, Clark sets up a long, 22-note melody line that moves right into Trane's solo. He moves the key around and harmonically shifts gears as Clark follows and stays in the pocket for him while Trane uses the middle register for legato pyrotechnics. Fuller's next and covers over the blues inherent in the tune with pure swing, before Byrd brings it back into the fold with a gorgeous counterpoint of the melody. Clark taps his way into extended harmonics on the sixths and sharpens the accents as he trounces the original key and plays double trills to get back. The latter is a smokin' Latin take on the hard bop blues, with a staggered melodic line and a large tonal palette that gives the horn players room to explore the timbral possibilities of Clark's colors -- which are revealed in the loosest, skittering skein of bluesy phrasing this side of Horace Silver in his solo. In all,
Sonny's Crib
is a phenomenal recording, one that opened the door to hard bop becoming the norm in the late '50s, and one that drew deft, imaginative performances from all its players." -- All Music
Artist:
MORGAN, LEE
Title:
The Cooker
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1578LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1957. Featuring Lee Morgan (trumpet), Pepper Adams (baritone sax), Bobby Timmons (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and "Philly" Joe Jones (drums). "The trumpeter, then just 19, teams up with baritonist Pepper Adams, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones for a particularly strong set that is highlighted by a lengthy and fiery 'Night in Tunisia,' 'Lover Man' and a rapid rendition of 'Just One of Those Things.' Morgan plays remarkably well for his age (already ranking just below Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis), making this an essential acquisition." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
GRIFFIN, JOHNNY
Title:
The Congregation
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1580LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1957. "The great tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin is heard in top form on this near-classic quartet set. Assisted by pianist Sonny Clark, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Kenny Dennis, Griffin is exuberant on 'The Congregation' (which is reminiscent of Horace Silver's 'The Preacher'), thoughtful on the ballads, and swinging throughout." --All Music Guide
Artist:
SILVER QUINTET, HORACE
Title:
Further Explorations By The Horace Silver Quintet
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1589LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1958. Featuring Art Farmer (trumpet), Cliff Jordan (tenor sax), Horace Silver (piano), Teddy Kotick (bass) and Louis Hayes (drums). Five Horace Silver originals -- "The Outlaw," "Melancholy Mood," "Pyramid," "Moon Rays" and "Safari" -- and Harold Arlen's "Cornbread."
Artist:
DONALDSON, LOU
Title:
Blues Walk
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 1593LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1958. "Lou Donaldson's undisputed masterpiece,
Blues Walk
, marks the point where the altoist began to decisively modify his heavy Charlie Parker influence and add a smoky, bluesy flavor of his own. The material is still firmly in the bebop vein, and the mellower moments aren't as sleepy as some of Donaldson's subsequent work, so the album sounds vital and distinctive even as it slows down and loosens things up. That makes it the definitive release in Donaldson's early, pre-soul-jazz period, but what elevates
Blues Walk
to classic status is its inviting warmth. Donaldson's sweetly singing horn is ingratiating and melodic throughout the six selections, making even his most advanced ideas sound utterly good-natured and accessible."
Artist:
BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS, ART
Title:
Moanin'
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4003LP
Exact repro of this 1958 album for Blue Note, featuring Benny Golson (tenor sax), Bobby Timmons (piano), Jymie Merritt (bass), Lee Morgan (trumpet) and Blakey (drums). "..ranks with the very best of Blakey and what modern jazz offered in the late '50s and beyond." --All Music Guide
Artist:
REECE, DIZZY
Title:
Blues In Trinity
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4006LP
Originally released in 1958. Featuring Donald Byrd (trumpet), Tubby Hayes (tenor sax), Terry Shannon (piano), Lloyd Thompson (bass) and Art Taylor (drums).
Artist:
REECE, DIZZY
Title:
Star Bright
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4023LP
Originally released in 1959. Featuring Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Art Taylor (drums).
Artist:
MCLEAN, JACKIE
Title:
Swing Swang Swingin'
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4024LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1959. Featuring Walter Bishop Jr. (piano), Jimmy Garrison (bass) and Art Taylor (drums). "One of Jackie McLean's earliest Blue Notes,
Swing, Swang, Swingin'
parts company with the vast majority of his output for the label by concentrating chiefly on standards (only one of the seven tunes is a McLean original). Perhaps as a result of Blue Note's more prepared, professional approach to recording sessions, McLean sounds invigorated here, catapulting each melody forward before launching into a series of impassioned improvisations." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
RED, SONNY
Title:
Out Of The Blue
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4032LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1960. Featuring Wynton Kelly (piano), Sam Jones (bass), Paul Chambers (bass), Roy Brooks (drums), Jimmy Cobb (drums) and Red (alto sax). "This album consists of material from two different sessions. Pianist Wynton Kelly, a sympathetic accompanist and complementary soloist, whose played with Miles Davis, is present on all the numbers. The rest of the rhythm section for the first six tracks consists of the highly dependable Sam Jones of the Cannonball Adderley group and Roy Brooks, the youthful drummer who stepped comfortably into fellow Detroiter Louis Hayes' shoes with Horace Silver's quintet in 1959. On the last two tracks, 'The Lope' and 'Stairway To The Stars,' Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb join Kelly to make it an all-Miles Davis rhythm section."
Artist:
MORGAN, LEE
Title:
Lee-Way
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4034LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1960. Featuring altoist Jackie McLean, pianist Bobby Timmons, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Blakey. Hard bop with a strong dose of who gives a shit.
Artist:
HUBBARD, FREDDIE
Title:
Open Sesame
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4040LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1960. "Freddie Hubbard's first recording as a leader,
Open Sesame
features the 22-year-old trumpeter in a quintet with tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks, the up-and-coming pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Clifford Jarvis. This set shows that even at this early stage, Hubbard had the potential to be one of the greats. On the ballad 'But Beautiful' he shows maturity; other highlights include 'Open Sesame,' a driving 'All or Nothing at All' and 'One Mint Julep.' It's an impressive start to what would be a very interesting career." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
BROOKS, TINA
Title:
True Blue
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4041LP
Exact repro reissue of hard-bop tenor Tina Brooks' 1960 album, featuring Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Duke Jordan (piano), Sam Jones (bass) and Art Taylor (drums).
Artist:
DORHAM, KENNY
Title:
Whistle Stop
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4063LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1961. "
Whistle Stop
is a high-quality Hard Bop date that is particularly noteworthy for featuring seven forgotten but superior Kenny Dorham compositions, tunes that today's Hard Boppers should be inspired to revive. Dorham is heard in prime form in a quintet with Hank Mobley, pianist Kenny Drew, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones."
Artist:
GREEN, GRANT
Title:
Grant's First Stand
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4064LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1961. Featuring Grant Green (guitar), "Baby Face" Willette (organ) and Ben Dixon (drums). "'Miss Ann's Tempo,' 'Blues For Willarene,' 'A Wee Bit O'Green,' all lines by Green, and 'Baby's Minor Lope' (by Willette) are blues of varying shades and tempos with an earthy, deep-rooted swing characteristic of each. Willette, who will be compared with Jimmy Smith, is, as both a soloist and accompanist, a propulsive force throughout, making great use of the organ''s intrinsic power and demonstrating, along with Green, that 'funk' has not yet been depelted of its resources."
Artist:
QUEBEC, IKE
Title:
It Might As Well Be Spring
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4105LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1961. Featuring Freddie Roach (organ), Milt Hinton (bass) and Al Harewood (drums) and Quebec (tenor sax).
Artist:
ILORI AND HIS AFRO-DRUM ENSEMBLE, SOLOMON
Title:
African High Life
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4136LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1963. Heavy African percussion rhythms on Blue Note. "Most of the numbers in the album are Solomon Ilori's fashion of African 'high life.' To listen to them is to go through a relaxed period of pleasure and delight."
Artist:
HENDERSON, JOE
Title:
Page One
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4140LP
Lima, Ohio's finest Blue Note musician, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson released his debut as a leader in 1963. Featuring trumpeter Kenny Dorham, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Butch Warren and drummer Pete La Roca. Exact repro.
Artist:
COLES, JOHNNY
Title:
Little Johnny C
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4144LP
Trumpeter Johnny Coles recorded with the likes of Gil Evans, Charles Mingus and Herbie Hancock. One of his few albums as a leader,
Little Johnny C
was released in 1963 and features Leo Wright (alto sax & flute), Joe Henderson (tenor sax), Duke Pearson (piano), Bob Crenshaw (bass), Walter Perkins (drums) and Pete La Roca (drums). Exact repro reissue.
Artist:
HANCOCK, HERBIE
Title:
Inventions & Dimensions
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4147LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1964. Featuring Paul Chambers (bass), Willie Bobo (drums & timbales), Osvaldo "Chihuahau" Martinez (conga & bongo) and Hancock (piano). "For his third album,
Inventions and Dimensions
, Herbie Hancock changed course dramatically. Instead of recording another multifaceted album like
My Point of View
, he explored a Latin-inflected variation of post-bop with a small quartet. Hancock is the main harmonic focus of the music -- his three colleagues are bassist Paul Chambers, drummer Willie Bobo, and percussionist Osvaldo 'Chihuahua' Martinez, who plays conga and bongo. It is true that the music is rhythm-intensive, but that doesn't mean it's dance music. Hancock has created an improvisational atmosphere where the rhythms are fluid and the chords, harmonies, and melodies are unexpected. On every song but one, the melodies and chords were improvised, with Hancock's harmonic ideas arising from the rhythms during the recording. The result is risky, unpredictable music that is intensely cerebral and quite satisfying.
Inventions and Dimensions
displays his willingness to experiment and illustrates that his playing is reaching new, idiosyncratic heights." -- All Music
Artist:
GREEN, GRANT
Title:
Idle Moments
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4154LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1963. Featuring Joe Henderson (tenor sax), Bobby Hutcherson (vibes), Grant Green (guitar), Duke Pearson (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Al Harewood (drums). "This languid, seductive gem may well be Grant Green's greatest moment on record. Right from the opening bars of the classic title cut,
Idle Moments
is immediately ingratiating and accessible, featuring some of Green's most stylish straight jazz playing. Whether he's running warm (pianist Duke Pearson's 'Idle Moments'), cool (the Modern Jazz Quartet's 'Django'), or a bit more up-tempo (Pearson's 'Nomad,' his own 'Jean de Fleur'), Green treats the material with the graceful elegance that was the hallmark of his best hard bop sessions, and that quality achieves its fullest expression here." -- All Music
Artist:
MORGAN, LEE
Title:
The Sidewinder
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4157LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1963. "Carried by its almost impossibly infectious eponymous opening track,
The Sidewinder
helped foreshadow the sounds of boogaloo and soul-jazz with its healthy R&B influence and Latin tinge. While the rest of the album retreats to a more conventional hard bop sound, Morgan's compositions are forward-thinking and universally solid. Only 25 at the time of its release, Morgan was accomplished (and perhaps cocky) enough to speak of mentoring the great Joe Henderson, who at 26 was just beginning to play dates with Blue Note after getting out of the military. Henderson makes a major contribution to the album, especially on 'Totem Pole,' where his solos showed off his singular style, threatening to upstage Morgan, who is also fairly impressive here. Barry Harris, Bob Cranshaw, and Billy Higgins are all in good form throughout the album as well, and the group works together seamlessly to create an album that crackles with energy while maintaining a stylish flow." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
DOLPHY, ERIC
Title:
Out To Lunch!
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4163LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1964. Featuring Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, Richard David and Anthony Williams. "
Out to Lunch
stands as Eric Dolphy's magnum opus, an absolute pinnacle of avant-garde jazz in any form or era. Its rhythmic complexity was perhaps unrivaled since Dave Brubeck's
Time Out
, and its five Dolphy originals -- the jarring Monk tribute 'Hat and Beard,' the aptly titled 'Something Sweet, Something Tender,' the weirdly jaunty flute showcase 'Gazzelloni,' the militaristic title track, the drunken lurch of 'Straight Up and Down' -- were a perfect balance of structured frameworks, carefully calibrated timbres, and generous individual freedom." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
HILL, ANDREW
Title:
Point Of Departure
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4167LP
Exact repro reissue of pianist Andrew Hill's fourth album for Blue Note, originally released in 1964. Hill has been described as "the most deft avant-garde artist in jazz" (PopMatters). Featuring Kenny Dorham (trumpet), Eric Dolphy (alto sax, flute & bass clarinet), Joe Henderson (tenor sax), Richard Davis (bass) and Anthony Williams (drums). "The pieces on
Point Of Departure
don't flow and develop, and they don't have a lot of built-in contrast; there's no crescendo or denouement in the expected places, and they don't make a journey, traveling from a home key to an away key and back. They tend to be organized into two units of the same number of measures or even, in the case of 'Flight 19,' as one constantly repeating unit. What Hill devised, though, were ingenious ways to work with static harmony. The tunes have intriguingly dark melodies, but on much of the material, when the players find the right scale to work from, they can just let it rip through their solo without having to worry about chord changes." -- Ben Ratliff
Artist:
SHORTER, WAYNE
Title:
Night Dreamer
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4173LP
Recorded 1964. "Tenor-saxophonist Wayne Shorter's Blue Note debut found him well prepared to enter the big time. With an impressive quintet that includes trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Elvin Jones, Shorter performed a well-rounded program consisting of five of his originals plus an adaptation of an 'Oriental Folk Song.' Whether it be the brooding title cut, the Coltranish ballad 'Virgo' or the jams on 'Black Nile' and 'Charcoal Blues,' this is a memorable set of high-quality and still fresh music." --All Music Guide
Artist:
MITCHELL, BLUE
Title:
The Thing To Do
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4178LP
Exact repro reissue of one of the truly legendary Blue Note sessions, originally released in 1964. Featuring Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Junior Cook (tenor sax), Chick Corea (piano -- his second recorded appearance and debut for Blue Note), Gene Taylor (bass), and Aloysius Foster (drums). "This Blue Mitchell date is a classic, particularly the opening 'Fungii Mama,' which is really catchy. The trumpeter's quintet of the period (which includes tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, the young pianist Chick Corea, bassist Gene Taylor, and drummer Al Foster) also performs two Jimmy Heath tunes and a song apiece by Joe Henderson ('Step Lightly') and Corea. The record is prime Blue Note hard bop, containing inventive tunes, meaningful solos, and an enthusiastic but tight feel. Highly recommended." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
DORHAM, KENNY
Title:
Trompeta Toccata
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4181LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1964. "It seems strange and somewhat tragic that this was trumpeter Kenny Dorham's last full album as a leader for he was only 40 at the time and still in his prime. Dorham contributed three of the four selections to the session (Joe Henderson's catchy 'Mamacita' also receives its debut), and his very underrated abilities as a writer, trumpeter, and talent scout are very much in evidence. This modern hard bop quintet set with Henderson on tenor, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Albert 'Tootie' Heath served as a strong (if premature) ending to Dorham's impressive career as a solo artist." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
MOBLEY, HANK
Title:
The Turnaround!
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4186LP
Exact repro of this 1965 release. "The Hank Mobley of the
Turnaround
album was a markedly different one from a few years earlier. This session issued in early 1965 was the product of two different sessions. The first was in March of 1963, immediately after Mobley left the Miles Davis band. Those recordings produced 'East of the Village,' possibly the greatest example of Mobley's 'round tone' on record, and the other was 'The Good Life,' a ballad. The rest was recorded nearly two years later in February of 1965. The title cut was produced here -- an Alfred Lion answer to Lee Morgan's 'Sidewinder,' which was burning up the charts -- as well as the beautiful 'Pat 'n' Chat,' with 'Straight Ahead' and 'My Sin' rounding out the program." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
YOUNG, LARRY
Title:
Into Somethin'!
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4187LP
Early Larry Young session for Blue Note, originally released in 1964. Featuring Sam Rivers (tenor sax), Grant Green (guitar and Elvin Jones (drums). Probably "adventurous and colorful," but still pre-Fuel/Love Cry Want.
Artist:
PATTON, BIG JOHN
Title:
Oh Baby!
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4192LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released on Blue Note in 1965. Featuring Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Harold Vick (tenor sax), Grant Green (guitar), John Patton (organ) and Ben Dixon (drums). Exact repro reissue, originally released on Blue Note in 1965. Featuring Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Harold Vick (tenor sax), Grant Green (guitar), John Patton (organ) and Ben Dixon (drums). "This is 'Big' John's fourth album for Blue Note Records. In his appraisal of the album, he said,
'I feel this album moves me closer to interpreting music my way.'
And he added,
'I want to go on studying. A musician cannot stand still. The mechanical power of the organ can easily delude you into projecting strength as opposed to blending it with other instruments. Control is very important and so is direction.'
"
Artist:
SHORTER, WAYNE
Title:
Speak No Evil
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4194LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1964. "On his third date for Blue Note within a year, Wayne Shorter changed the bands that played on both
Night Dreamer
and
Juju
and came up with not only another winner, but also managed to give critics and jazz fans a different look at him as a saxophonist. Because of his previous associations with McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, and Reggie Workman on those recordings, Shorter had been unfairly branded with the 'just-another-Coltrane-disciple' tag, despite his highly original and unusual compositions. Here, with only Jones remaining and his bandmates from the Miles Davis Quintet, Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter on board (with Freddie Hubbard filling out the horn section), Shorter at last came into his own and caused a major reappraisal of his earlier work. The odd harmonic frameworks used to erect 'Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum,' with its balladic structure augmented with a bluesy regimen of hard bop and open-toned modalism, create the illusion of a much larger band managing all that timbral space. Likewise on the title track, with its post-bop-oriented melodic line strewn across a wide chromatic palette of minors and Hancock's piano pushing through a contrapuntal set of semi-quavers, the avant-garde meets the hard bop of the '50s head on and everybody wins. The loping lyric of the horns and Hancock's vamping in the middle section during Shorter's solo reveals a broad sense of humor in the saxophonist's linguistics and a deep, more regimented sense of time and thematic coloration. The set ends with the beautiful 'Wild Flower,' a lilting ballad with angular accents by Hancock who takes the lyric and inverts it, finding a chromatic counterpoint that segues into the front line instead of playing in opposition. The swing is gentle but pronounced and full of Shorter's singular lyricism as a saxophonist as well as a composer." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
HANCOCK, HERBIE
Title:
Maiden Voyage
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4195LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1965. Featuring Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), George Coleman (tenor sax), Ron Carter (bass) and Anthony Williams (drums). "This music attempts to capture its vastness and majesty, the splendor of a sea-going vessel on its maiden voyage, the graceful beauty of the playful dolphins, the constant struggle for survival of even the tiniest sea creatures, and the awesome destructive power of the hurricane, nemesis of seamen." -- Herbie Hancock
Artist:
HUTCHERSON, BOBBY
Title:
Dialogue
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4198LP
Exact repro reissue of the 1965 debut from jazz vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. "Coming fresh on the heels of his groundbreaking work with Eric Dolphy, Bobby Hutcherson's debut album is a masterpiece of 'new thing' avant-garde jazz, not really free but way beyond standard hard bop.
Dialogue
boasts an all-star lineup of hot young post-boppers -- trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, woodwind player Sam Rivers, pianist Andrew Hill, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Joe Chambers -- and a set of imaginative compositions by either Hill or Chambers that frequently push the ensemble into uncharted territory." --All Music Guide
Artist:
LA ROCA, PETE
Title:
Basra
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4205LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1965. "La Roca's three originals ('Basra,' which holds one's interest despite staying on one chord throughout, the blues 'Candu,' and the complex 'Tears Come From Heaven') are stimulating but it is the other three songs that really bring out the best playing in the quartet (which is comprised of tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson, pianist Steve Kuhn, and bassist Steve Swallow in addition to La Roca). 'Malaguena' is given a great deal of passion, Swallow's 'Eiderdown' (heard in its initial recording) receives definitive treatment, and the ballad 'Lazy Afternoon' is both haunting and very memorable; Henderson's tone perfectly fits that piece." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
MCLEAN, JACKIE
Title:
Action
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4218LP
Exact repro of Jackie McLean's 1964 album, featuring Charles Tolliver (trumpet), Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone), Cecil McBee (bassist), and Billy Higgins (drummer).
Artist:
MORGAN, LEE
Title:
Cornbread
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4222LP
Exact repro reissue of this 1965 session featuring Jackie McLean (alto sax), Hank Mobley (tenor sax), Herbie Hancock (piano), Larry Ridley (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums).
Artist:
CHERRY, DON
Title:
Complete Communion
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$12.00
Catalog #:
BLP 4226LP
Originally released in 1965, Don Cherry's first album for Blue Note featured Leandro "Gato" Barbieri (tenor sax), Henry Grimes (bass) and Edward Blackwell (drums). "...all the musicians free-associated off of each theme, engaging in intense, abstract dialogues before moving on to the next." --All Music Guide
Artist:
MOBLEY, HANK
Title:
A Caddy For Daddy
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4230LP
Exact repro of this 1965 album, featuring Lee Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), McCoy Tyner (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass), Bill Higgins (drums) and Morgan (trumpet). Tracks: "The Morning After," "Venus Di Mildew," "Ace Deuce Trey" and "3rd Time Around."
Artist:
PATTON, BIG JOHN
Title:
Let 'Em Roll
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4239LP
With Grant Green (guitar), John Patton (organ), Bobby Hutcherson (vibes) and Otis Finch (drums). Exact repro, originally released in 1965. "In an unusual setting for a groove/soul jazz setting, B3 organist extraordinaire big John Patton creates a band around himself that includes Grant Green, drummer Otis Finch, and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. It's truly weird to think of vibes on a groove date, but the way Patton's understated playing works, and the way Green is literally all things to all players, Hutcherson's role is not only a clearly defined one, but adds immeasurably to both depth and texture on this date." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
PEARSON, DUKE
Title:
Sweet Honey Bee
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.00
Catalog #:
BLP 4252LP
Exact repro reissue; originally issued on Blue Note in 1966. "Fortunately for music, as for all other manifestations of life, it has so far been impossible to homogenize temperament. Even, for example, in a time of unusual tension, such as the present, there are those who somehow sustain an open, lyrical, non-competitive approach to being alive. Although Duke's music has always been airy and spring-like, perhaps a particular reason for the sense of well-being in this album is the attractive young lady on the cover who, by the time you hear the music, will have become Mrs. Betty Pearson. There was something of her in Duke's thoughts when he wrote
Sweet Honey Bee
. Its sunny melody and resiliently infectious beat do communicate, as Duke puts it, 'a bit of happiness.' Considerably more than a bit. There is a dance-like buoyancy in Duke's own piano solo, and James Spaulding's flute also emphasizes the light-hearted mood of expectancy that makes
Sweet Honey Bee
a spirit-energizer." -- Nat Hentoff
Artist:
TURRENTINE, STANLEY
Title:
The Spoiler
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4256LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1966. Featuring Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Julian Priester (trombone), James Spaulding (alto sax & flute), Pepper Adams (baritone sax), McCoy Tyner (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass & fender bass), Mickey Roker (drums), Joseph Rivera (shakers & tambourine) and Turrentine (tenor sax). "...one of the most distinctive tenor saxophonists in jazz." -- NPR
Artist:
YOUNG, LARRY
Title:
Contrasts
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4266LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1967. "For this interesting set, organist Larry Young (the first musician on his instrument to really move beyond Jimmy Smith's soul-jazz into the avant-garde) mostly utilized lesser-known musicians from the Newark, NJ, area: Tyrone Washington and Herbert Morgan on tenors, flugelhornist Hank White, guitarist Eddie Wright, drummer Eddie Gladden, and Stacey Edwards on congas. 'Major Affair' is an organ-drums duet and Larry's wife Althea Young does a haunting version of 'Wild Is the Wind,' while the other four selections use all of the horns. The adventurous music is sometimes quite intense but also grooves in its own eccentric way, offering listeners a very fresh sound on organ." -- All Music
Artist:
MOBLEY, HANK
Title:
Hi Voltage
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4273LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1967. Featuring Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Jackie McLean (alto sax), Hank Mobley (tenor sax), John Hicks (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums). "Hank's path along the road to maturity took him on a level course through the latter days of the bebop era. While many musicians of the day were trying to smooth out some of the rough edges of bop (in certain cases this led to the so-called cool counter-revolution), Hank already had his own thing pretty well together. During the middle and late 1950s he seemed just as much at ease with the typical combos of that period (the hard bop phase) as he had in his earliest days. Some critics have detected in him a slight Coltrane influence. It would be difficult indeed for any tenor saxophonist with open ears not to have absorbed a touch of Trane during the 1960s, but the inherent quality of the Mobley sound, and the craftsmanlike way in which he has evolved his own facility of phrasing (let's call it the Mobley Mobility) precludes any strong resemblance between the two."
Artist:
WASHINGTON, TYRONE
Title:
Natural Essence
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4274LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1969. "This release is a bit of a mystery, because this sole date as a leader by Tyrone Washington seems to mark his final appearance on record (following two sessions as a sideman, including Horace Silver's The Jody Grind); his name doesn't show up in jazz encyclopedias, so one wonders if he died prematurely or quit music for some other reason. Only 23 at the time of the recording, the tenor saxophonist composed six originals and is joined by other promising young lions who went onto great careers (pianist Kenny Barron and trumpeter Woody Shaw), along with alto saxophonist James Spaulding, bassist Reggie Workman, and drummer Joe Chambers. Washington shows the influence of John Coltrane during his rapid-fire runs, while his playing during his more straight-ahead works proves to be more memorable. The opener, 'Natural Essence,' is an interesting alchemy of blues, funk, and hard bop. 'Yearning for Love' is an emotional piece with spirited interaction between the three horns in places." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
DONALDSON, LOU
Title:
Midnight Creeper
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4280LP
Gatefold exact repro reissue, originally released in 1968. Featuring the sexiest album art Blue Note could fathom. "As he delved deeper into commercial soul-jazz and jazz-funk, Lou Donaldson became better at it. While lacking the bite of his hard bop improvisations or the hard-swinging funk of
Alligator Bogaloo
,
Midnight Creeper
succeeds where its predecessor, Mr. Shing-A-Ling failed: it offers a thoroughly enjoyable set of grooving, funky soul-jazz. The five songs -- including two originals by Donaldson and one each by Lonnie Smith (who also plays organ on the record), Teddy Vann, and Harold Ousley -- aren't particularly distinguished, but the vibe is important, not the material. And the band -- Donaldson, Smith, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, guitarist George Benson, and drummer Leo Morris -- strikes the right note, turning in a fluid, friendly collection of bluesy funk vamps. Donaldson could frequently sound stilted on his commercial soul-jazz dates, but that's not the case with
Midnight Creeper
. He rarely was quite as loose on his late-'60s/early-'70s records as he is here, and that's what makes
Midnight Creeper
a keeper." -- All Music
Artist:
SMITH, LONNIE
Title:
Think!
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4290LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1968. Featuring Lee Morgan, David Newman, Melvin Sparks and the song "Son Of Ice Bag."
Artist:
BYRD, DONALD
Title:
Slow Drag
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4292LP
Gatefold exact repro reissue, originally released in 1967. Featuring Sonny Red, Cedar Walton, Walter Booker and Billy Higgins. "
Slow Drag
was one of trumpeter Donald Byrd's final hard bop dates. Teamed with altoist Sonny Red, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Walter Booker and drummer Billy Higgins (who takes a surprise vocal on the title cut), this quintet outing features originals by Byrd, Walton and Red along with the standards 'Secret Love' and 'My Ideal.' The music in general finds Byrd looking both backwards toward the blues and forwards toward modal music and hints of the avant-garde. A fine effort." --All Music
Artist:
DONALDSON, LOU
Title:
Say It Loud!
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4299LP
Gatefold exact repro reissue, originally released in 1968. Featuring Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Lou Donaldson (alto sax), Jimmy Ponder (guitar), Charles Earland (organ) and Leo Morris (drums). Includes the James Brown cover "Say It Loud I'm Black And I'm Proud."
Artist:
MITCHELL, BLUE
Title:
Collision In Black
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4300LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1969. Features the up-tempo African-influenced "Swahili Suite." Trumpeter Blue Mitchell is joined by Jim Horn & Ernest Watts (flutes), Anthony Ortego & Monk Higgins (tenors), Jack Remond & Dick Hyde (bass), Bob West (guitar), Al Vescovo (piano), Miles Grayson (drums) and Paul Humphrey (organ).
Artist:
YOUNG, LARRY
Title:
Heaven On Earth
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4304LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1968. Featuring altoist Byard Lancaster, tenor saxophonist Herbert Morgan, guitarist George Benson, and drummer Eddie Gladden, with Athea Young guesting on vocals on "My Funny Valentine." Still as tied to the groove as on his classic
Unity
album, Young is in an explorative phase with the heavy grooves of the title track and "The Infant" and the bossafied funk of "The Cradle" and "Call Me."
Artist:
SMITH, LONNIE
Title:
Turning Point
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4313LP
Gatefold exact repro reissue, originally released in 1969. Featuring Lee Morgan (trumpet), Julian Priester (trombone), Bennie Maupin (tenor sax), Melvin Sparks (guitar), Leo Morris (drums) and Smith (organ). Hammond master Lonnie Smith (who performed with Lou Donaldson and George Benson's quartet) performs covers of Aretha Franklin's hit "See Saw" and a tight, organ-groove rendition of "Eleanor Rigby."
Artist:
WILSON, REUBEN
Title:
Love Bug
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4317LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1969. Featuring Lee Morgan (trumpet), George Coleman (tenor sax), Grant Green (guitar), Leo Morris (drums) and Wilson (organ). The unorthodox, vamping rework of "I Say A Little Prayer" on this record probably would've had Burt Bacharach running for cover. "Reuben is one of those somewhat rare organists who began their professional lives playing this instrument, without paying any prior dues as a pianist."
Artist:
DONALDSON, LOU
Title:
Hot Dog
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4318LP
Gatefold exact repro reissue of Lou Donaldson's most appetizing album, originally released in 1969. Featuring guitarist Melvin Sparks, organist Charles Earland, and trumpeter Ed Williams.
Artist:
SMITH, LONNIE
Title:
Move Your Hand
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4326LP
Gatefold exact repro reissue, originally released in 1969. Recorded live at "Club Harlem" Atlantic City, NJ. Featuring Rudy Jones (tenor sax), Robbie Cuber (baritone sax), Larry McGee (guitar), Sylvester Goshay (drums) and Lonnie Smith on organ and vocals. "The band was tight. There was a feeling of togetherness on that small bandstand. From the first note on, everything fell into place. Whether they played 'Charlie Brown' or 'Sunshine Superman,' the blues permeated everything they played.... Right in the groove and probably the high point of the session was Lonnie's sensational 'Move Your Hand.' His infectious, humorous vocal really turns this track into 'something else'."
Artist:
GREEN, GRANT
Title:
Carryin' On
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4327LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1969. "Having firmly established himself as the '60s jazz guitarist second only to the great Wes Montgomery, Grant Green was willing and able to move into something new and give himself up to the emerging funk wave that would seep across the '70s. Attacked by purists as Grant's grand selling-out, these recordings have been rediscovered and widely sampled by legions of acid-jazz aficionados. Hypnotically rhythmic and quintessentially grooving..." -- All About Jazz
Artist:
MCGRIFF, JIMMY
Title:
Electric Funk
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4350LP
Exact repro reissue of this 1969 album from the Giant Of The Organ, now legendary in soul/jazz/hip hop circles. Simply one of the funkiest Blue Note albums -- ever. "With '69s
Electric Funk
, McGriff slathered his Blue Note debut with the assistance of arranger/composer/pianist Horace Ott, Stanley Turrentine and an uncredited Bernard Purdie. With tunes like 'Chris Cross' and 'The Bird Wave,' McGriff's funk bag was cemented." --
Wax Poetics
contributing editor Matt Rogers
Artist:
COLEMAN, ORNETTE
Title:
Love Call
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4356LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1968. Featuring Ornette Coleman (alto sax & trumpet), Dewey Redman (tenor sax), Jimmy Garrison (bass) and Elvin Jones (drums). "'Love Call,' with Coleman on trumpet, maintains a blistering intensity as the two horns are not merely supported but engulfed in the rhythmic pressure furnished by Garrison and Jones. Note particularly the passage, beginning about two thirds of the way through the track, when the two horns engage in a rapier-like exchange, each seemingly feeding on the other's insatiable energy."
Artist:
GREEN, GRANT
Title:
Alive!
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$12.00
Catalog #:
BLP 4360LP
"
Alive!
is the hardest funk LP Grant Green recorded during the later phase of his career, capturing a storming gig at Newark's Cliché Lounge. The sweaty club atmosphere adds something to the music that's difficult to pin down, yet unmistakably present -- a certain organic quality that isn't as noticeable on Green's studio albums of the time. Moreover, Green sounds more like the captain of his ship, with greater assurance in his musical direction and more strut on the R&B material. Drummer Idris Muhammad is a monster in this live setting, and he helps push Green (plus the rest of the band, which includes organist Ronnie Foster) even farther with his kinetic, continually evolving funk rhythms." Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1970.
Artist:
WILSON, REUBEN
Title:
A Groovy Situation
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BLP 4365LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1971. Featuring Earl Turbinton (alto sax), Eddie Diehl (guitar), Harold White (drums) and Wilson on organ. A tight collection of R&B and pop covers, including soul hits like "A Groovy Situation" and "If You Let Me Make Love To You (Then Why Can't I Touch You)," but this is so worth it for the funky rendition of the Turtles' "Happy Together." Also, the coolest Blue Note cover art.
Artist:
MORGAN, LEE
Title:
Candy
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BN 1590LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1957. "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. Not merely a technical marvel, his tone on this album was sweet and his playing fluid, infused with joy and crisply articulated emotion. Morgan would later turn out to be an expert songwriter, but here songs like Buddy Johnson's 'Since I Fell for You,' and Jimmy Heath's 'C.T.A.' gave him ample space to show off his talents." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
FOSTER, RONNIE
Title:
Cheshire Cat
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BNLA 425LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1975. Finely-honed, post-
Freap
organ jazz funk, featuring Joe Beck (guitar), George Benson (guitar, background vocals), William Allen (bass), Gary King (bass), Dennis Davis (drums) and James Mtume (percussion). Tracks include "Like A Child," "Tuesday Heartbreak," "Fly Away," Heartless" and "Funky Motion."
Artist:
HENDERSON, JOE
Title:
Mode For Joe
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BST 84227LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1966. Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson's first album with a group larger than a quintet: Lee Morgan (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Bobby Hutcherson (vibes), Cedar Walton (piano), Ron Carter (bass) and Joe Chambers (drums). "At a time when far too many Coltrane clones roamed the Earth, Joe Henderson shined as a personal, distinctive stylist with a brawny, instantly recognizable tone. Walton's delicate and gently swinging
Mode for Joe
brings out the softer, lyrical side of these Blue Note heavyweights. Henderson contributes one of his more subdued solos on record. Though less aggressive than normal, his solo is still harmonically adventurous and surprising. His melodicism is juxtaposed by sudden bursts of frantic clusters of notes. Hutcherson is in top form -- once again proving he is the most expressive of all vibraphonists. A great addition to any collection."
Artist:
HANCOCK, HERBIE
Title:
The Prisoner
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BST 84321LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1969. "As one of the first albums Herbie Hancock recorded after departing Miles Davis' quintet in 1968, as well as his final album for Blue Note,
The Prisoner
is one of Hancock's most ambitious efforts. Assembling a nonet that features Joe Henderson (tenor sax, alto flute), Johnny Coles (flugelhorn), Garnett Brown (trombone), Buster Williams (bass), and Albert 'Tootie' Heath (drums), he has created his grandest work since
My Point of View
. Unlike that effort,
The Prisoner
has a specific concept -- it's a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, evoking his spirit and dreams through spacious, exploratory post-bop." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
MITCHELL, BLUE
Title:
Bantu Village
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BST 84324LP
Exact repro of this 1970 release. Arranged and conducted by Monk Higgins. Also featuring Al Vescovo (guitar), Bob West (bass), John Guerin (drums) and Charlie Loper (trombone).
Artist:
MOBLEY, HANK
Title:
The Flip
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BST 84329LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1969. Featuring Dizzy Reece (trumpet), Slide Hampton (trombone), Vince Benedetti (piano), Alby Cullaz (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). "The title track opens the set and it lays deep in the soul-jazz cut, tempered by hard bop sensibilities: the solos by Reece, Hampton, and Mobley are top-notch, but it is Benedetti's muscular comping and blues-wailing piano that drives the tune. 'Feelin Folksy,' means in an African way, with its beautifully crafted and lively minor key melody that touches upon South African township musics and the lyrical harmonic assertions put forth by Abdullah Ibrahim (then known as Dollar Brand). But the personality of the tune, with its gloriously bluesy swing, is all Mobley." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
MORGAN, LEE
Title:
The Sixth Sense
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BST 84335LP
Recorded 1967. "For this lesser-known Lee Morgan LP, the trumpeter was starting to stretch beyond hard bop into more modal areas while retaining his easily recognizable sound. None of Morgan's originals (which are performed along with pianist Cedar Walton's 'Afreaka' and Cal Massey's 'The Cry of My People') caught on, but the music is creatively performed by the trumpeter, altoist Jackie McLean (who was always a perfect musical partner), the obscure tenor Frank Mitchell, Walton, bassist Victor Sproles, and drummer Billy Higgins." --All Music Guide
Artist:
WILSON, REUBEN
Title:
Blue Mode
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.00
Catalog #:
BST 84343LP
Exact repro reissue; originally issued on Blue Note in 1969. "If
Love Bug
skirted the edges of free jazz and black power, Blue Mode embraces soul-jazz and Memphis funk in no uncertain terms. Opening with the cinematic, stuttering 'Bambu' and running through a set of relaxed, funky grooves -- including covers of Eddie Floyd's 'Knock On Wood' and Edwin Starr's 'Twenty-Five Miles' --
Blue Mode
isn't strictly a jazz album, but its gritty, jazzy vamps and urban soul-blues make it highly enjoyable. Reuben Wilson has a laid-back, friendly style and his supporting band -- tenor saxophonist John Manning, guitarist Melvin Sparks, and drummer Tommy Derrick -- demonstrate a similarly warm sense of tone. While none of them break through with any improvisations that would satiate hardcore jazz purists, they know how to work a groove, and that's what makes
Blue Mode
a winner."
Artist:
BYRD, DONALD
Title:
Electric Byrd
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BST 84349LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released on Blue Note in 1970. "Donald Byrd's transitional sessions from 1969-1971 are actually some of the trumpeter's most intriguing work, balancing accessible, funky, Davis-style fusion with legitimate jazz improvisation.
Electric Byrd
, from 1970, is the best of the bunch, as Byrd absorbs the innovations of
Bitches Brew
and comes up with one of his most consistent fusion sets of any flavor. Byrd leads his largest fusion group yet (ten to 11 pieces), featuring many of his cohorts of the time (including Jerry Dodgion, Lew Tabackin, and Frank Foster on various woodwinds). Most important are electric pianist Duke Pearson, who once again dominates the arrangements, and percussionist Airto Moreira, who in places lends a strong Brazilian feel that predates Return to Forever. Moreira also contributes one of the four compositions, 'Xibaba,' which starts out as an airy Brazilian tune but morphs into a free-form effects extravaganza; the rest are Byrd originals that prove equally imaginative and diverse." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
CANDIDO
Title:
Beautiful
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BST 84357LP
Exact repro reissue of Candido's Blue Note debut, a rare groove essential, originally released in 1970. Candido plays conga & bongos with Bernie Glow (trumpet), Pat Russo (trumpet), Joe Grimm (saxes & flute), Alan Raph (trombone & bass trombone), Frank Anderson (piano & organ), Dave Spinozza (guitar), Richard Davis (fender bass), Gerald Jemmott (fender bass) and Herbie Lovelle (drums). Magnetic, hypnotic, dance-oriented funk from the "Man With A Thousand Fingers."
Artist:
SILVER, HORACE
Title:
Total Response
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BST 84368LP
Subtitled:
The United States Of Mind / Phase 2
. Featuring Cecil Bridgewater (trumpet & fluegelhorn), Harold Vick (tenor sax), Bob Cranshaw (bass), Richie Resnicoff (guitar) and Mickey Roker (drums). The only Blue Note release with the song "Acid, Pot, Or Pills." Gatefold exact repro reissue, originally released in 1971.
Artist:
BYRD, DONALD
Title:
Ethiopian Knights
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BST 84380LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released on Blue Note in 1971. "Right from the stop-start bass groove that opens 'The Emperor,' it's immediately clear that
Ethiopian Knights
is more indebted to funk -- not just funky jazz, but the straight-up James Brown/Sly Stone variety -- than any previous Donald Byrd project. And, like a true funk band, Byrd and his group work the same driving, polyrhythmic grooves over and over, making rhythm the focal point of the music." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
FOSTER, RONNIE
Title:
Two Headed Freap
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BST 84382LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1972. "Ronnie Foster's debut album
Two Headed Freap
is a set of contemporary funky soul-jazz from the early '70s, which means it sounds closer to the soundtrack of a lost blaxploitation flick than
Back at the Chicken Shack, Pt. 2
. Foster certainly does display a debt to Jimmy Smith, but his playing is busier than Smith's and a bit wilder. Ironic, then, that his playing is in service to the groove and blends into the mix of wah-wah guitars, funk rhythms, electric bass, harps, and percolating percussion. Everything on
Two Headed Freap
is about glitzy groove -- it sounds cinematic, colorful, and funky." -- All Music
Artist:
GREEN, GRANT
Title:
Shades Of Green
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BST 84413LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1971. Featuring Emmanuel Riggins (electric piano & clavinet), Billy Wooten (vibes), Wilton Felder (fender bass), Nesbert "Stix" Hooper (drums) and King Errison (percussionist). Songs include James Brown's "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing, Open Up The Door I'll Get It Myself" and "Cold Sweat" and Stevie Wonder's "If You Really Love Me."
Artist:
GREEN, GRANT
Title:
The Final Comedown
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
BST 84415LP
The soundtrack to this 1980 movie blaxploitation film about a Black Panther-ish radical group is credited to Grant Green, although the majority of the music is composed and conducted by Wade Marcus. The Blue Note label's first soundtrack release.
Artist:
MORGAN, LEE
Title:
Taru
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
LT 1031LP
Recorded 1968. "Trumpeter Lee Morgan performs two funky boogaloos, a ballad and three complex group originals on this album whose music was first released in 1980. This is a transitional date with the hard bop stylist leaning in the direction of modal music and even anticipating aspects of fusion. His sextet (which includes Bennie Maupin on tenor, guitarist George Benson, pianist John Hicks, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Billy Higgins) is quite advanced for the period and inspires Morgan to some fiery and explorative playing." --All Music Guide
Artist:
GREEN, GRANT
Title:
Nigeria
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
LT 1032LP
Originally released in 1962. Guitarist Grant Green performs with Sonny Clark (piano), Sam Jones (bass) and Art Blakey (drums).
Artist:
MOBLEY, HANK
Title:
Thinking Of Home
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
LT 1045LP
Exact repro of this 1970 album, featuring Woody Shaw (trumpet), Eddie Diehl (guitar), Cedar Walton (piano), Mickey Bass (bass), Leroy Williams (drums), and Mobley (tenor sax). Tracks: "You Gotta Hit It," "Gayle's Groove," "Talk About Gittin' It," "Justine" and "Suite: Thinking, The Flight, Home At Last."
Artist:
MORGAN, LEE
Title:
Tom Cat
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
LT 1058LP
"Trumpeter Lee Morgan had had an unexpected hit with 'The Sidewinder,' so his more challenging recordings were temporarily put aside. As it turns out, this was one of Morgan's better sets from the 1960s and he had gathered together quite an all-star cast: altoist Jackie McLean, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Art Blakey. They perform 'Rigormortis,' McCoy Tyner's 'Twilight Mist,' and three of the trumpeter's originals, including the title cut. The advanced hard bop music still sounds fresh decades later despite its initial neglect." --All Music Guide
Artist:
MITCHELL, BLUE
Title:
Step Lightly
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
LT 1082LP
Featuring Herbie Hancock (piano), Gene Taylor (bass), Roy Brooks (drums), Leo Wright (alto sax), Joe Henderson (tenor sax) and Mitchell on trumpet. Tracks include "Mamacita," "Sweet And Lovely," "Andrea," "Cry Me A River," "Bluesville" and the title track. Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1963.
Artist:
MCLEAN, JACKIE
Title:
Vertigo
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
LT 1085LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1963. "Formidable" was from a 1959 sesssion featuring Donald Byrd (trumpet), Walter Davis (piano), Paul Chambers (bass) and Pete LaRoca (drums). The remaining five tracks were recorded in 1963 and feature Herbie Hancock (piano), Butch Warren (bass) and Tony Williams (drums), as well as Byrd again on trumpet.
Artist:
BLAKEY AND THE JAZZ MESSENGERS, ART
Title:
Africaine
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
LT 1088LP
Exact repro reissue, featuring Art Blakey (drums), Wayne Shorter (tenor saxophone), Lee Morgan (trumpet), Walter Davis (piano) and Jymie Merritt (bass). "The sessions for
Africaine
-- recorded in 1959 but not released until 1979 -- saw innovative young tenorist Shorter linked with the equally forward-looking trumpet of Lee Morgan for the first time on record, set against the efforts of producer Alfred Lion to shape another commercial hit to match Blakey's breakthrough with
Moanin'
. What he got instead was a showcase for two hot young horn players and composers burning ideas and talent over the uniquely wide-screen Blakey percussion style, all anchored by Walter Davis' s low-key, self-effacing and supportive blues piano." -- All About Jazz
Artist:
BYRD, DONALD
Title:
The Creeper
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
LT 1096LP
Exact repro of this 1967 session from trumpeter Donald Byrd, originally released in 1981. Featuring Sonny Red (alto), Pepper Adams (baritone), Chick Corea (piano), Miroslav Vitous (bass) and Mickey Roker (drums). "Samba Yantra," a compelling Latin-tinged rhythmic exploration just shy of the ten minute mark, makes its debut on this session and is a valuable Corea composition, released in an abbreviated version on his
Now He Sings, Now He Sobs
.
Artist:
SHORTER, WAYNE
Title:
The Soothsayer
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
LT 988LP
Exact repro reissue. Recorded 3/4/67. Featuring Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), James Spaulding (alto sax), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), McCoy Tyner (piano), Ron Carter (bass) and Tony Williams (drums). "Although the melody line of 'The Big Push' is rhythmically unusual, the solos by Shorter, Hubbard, Spaulding and McCoy flow in straight four. Wayne's solo entrance is arresting and wry as he playfully and creatively juggles a simple two note motif and weaves into a full blown solo. 'The Soothsayer' is a burning, delightfully descending line that engenders the kind of fire that makes Spaulding fly. He and Wayne steal the show here. Shorter launches his flight with those fragmented, punctuated lines that were a trademark of his playing in the sixties. Shorter has always been a master composer of ballads. And his tribute to Billy Holiday's 'Lady Day' is no exception. He gives an unbelievable reading that is set off by a lovely, lyrical piano solo from Tyner. A year and a half before this session, Wayne had recorded his own 'Dance Cadaverous' (on
Speak No Evil
) and credited the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius' 'Valse Triste' as an inspirational source point. Here he arranges Sibelius' own music for the sextet with solos from all except Williams. Coincidentally, this ensemble is VSOP with McCoy in place of Hancock and with Spaulding added. But this was no planned all-star reunion. This was merely the music of the period played unselfconsciously by the musicians who were playing it best." -- Michael Cuscuna, from the back cover.
Artist:
GORDON, DEXTER
Title:
Clubhouse
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
LT 989LP
Exact repro reissue, recorded May, 1965 and originally released in 1979. Featuring Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Barry Harris (piano), Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums). "...it rapidly becomes clear that the interplay of Dexter Gordon and Freddie Hubbard is going to be no subdued and tentative affair like 'Gettin' Around'. Freddie Hubbard is at a peak of his abilities and musical imagination at this time and there is a real rapport with Dexter Gordon that lifts the sax player into creative territory... 'Hanky Panky' develops as a genuine jazz piece as soon as Dexter Gordon's solo first breaks the ice and Freddie Hubbard's solo is clearly breaking out of the groove and determined to challenge any easy orthodoxy." -- 100 Greatest Jazz Albums
Artist:
MOBLEY, HANK
Title:
A Slice Of The Top
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
LT 995LP
Exact repro reissue featuring Hank Mobley (tenor sax), James Spaulding (alto sax), Lee Morgan (trumpet), Kiane Zawadi (euphonium), Howard Johnson (tuba), McCoy Tyner (piano), Reggie Workman (bass) and Billy Higgins (drums). "This is one of tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley's more intriguing sessions, for the talented composer had an opportunity to have four of his originals, plus the standard 'There's a Lull in My Life,' performed by an octet in the cool-toned style of Miles Davis's 'Birth of the Cool' nonet, arranged by Duke Pearson. Although recorded in 1966, this date was not released until 1979. Mobley, who continued to evolve into a more advanced player throughout the 1960s, fits right in with such adventurous players as altoist James Spaulding, trumpeter Lee Morgan (with whom Mobley recorded frequently), pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Billy Higgins. The inclusion of Kiane Zawadi on euphonium and Howard Johnson on tuba adds a lot of color to this memorable outing." -- All Music Guide
Artist:
HUTCHERSON, BOBBY
Title:
Spiral
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
LT 996LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1968. Featuring Hutcherson (vibes), Sam Rivers (tenor sax, bass clarinet), Harold Land (tenor sax), Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Andrew Hill, Stanley Cowell (piano), Richard Davis, Reggie Johnson (bass) and Joe Chambers (drums). "This album, recorded November 11, 1968, except for that one 1965 track ('Jasper'), stems from the period, 1968-71, during which Hutcherson co-led a quintet with the tenor saxophonist Harold Land. They recorded under Hutcherson's name for Blue Note, and under Land's for Chess and Mainstream. Based in San Diego for a long time, and later in Hollywood, Land was often lumped with West Coast musicians, for what must be geographical reasons. His style has always been closer to the East Coast boppers of the time. At the time of the trumpet player's Blue Mitchell's death, Land was co-leading a quintet with him. The rhythmically arresting 'Poor People's March' on this album is his."
Artist:
MOBLEY, HANK
Title:
Workout
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
ST 84080LP
Exact repro reissue; originally issued on Blue Note in 1961. Featuring Grant Green (guitar), Wynton Kelly (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums) and Hank Mobley (tenor sax). "Mobley in some of his best company: guitarist Grant Green, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. Each of these men made dozens of recordings like this one, and in their day they were little noted except as a payday for the musicians and a momentary showcase for their fans to enjoy. But from the standpoint of forty years in the future we can see the high level of mastery these musicians had achieved. Mobley is his mellow-toned self, and he finds a perfect partner in Green, whose electrically-charged lines take Mobley's quiet fire and run with it. Green glows particularly brightly on 'Workout,' while on the jaunty 'Uh Huh' Mobley takes chorus after chorus with a subtle buildup of intensity that reveals him to be a past master of architectonics. And the rhythm section! Philly Joe hasn't lost a step here, and indeed commands more attention than on his dates with Miles. This one was all in a day's work, but what a day! A tour de force. A masterpiece." -- All About Jazz
Artist:
MCLEAN, JACKIE
Title:
A Fickle Sonance
Label:
BLUE NOTE
Format:
LP
Price:
$11.50
Catalog #:
ST 84089LP
Exact repro reissue, originally released in 1961. "Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean was one of the few jazz players to come up through bebop and incorporate free jazz into his style. Even though
A Fickle Sonance
preceded McLean's intense 1962 album Let Freedom Ring, the playing remained in a swinging blues-oriented style, showing no hint of the direction his music was about to take. The sidemen on the date (Tommy Turrentine [trumpet], Sonny Clark [piano], and Butch Warren [bass]) prove to be an invigorating combination of musicians, however not as involved in the burgeoning free music as drummer Billy Higgins. At the time of these sessions, Higgins had already played with Ornette Coleman, providing a link to the avant-garde, but nevertheless his playing follows the hard bop pace of the others. McLean provides two original compositions, 'Subdued' and the title track, while Clark, Turrentine, and Warren fill the remaining tracks." -- All Music Guide
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