blue note s , what s good?
button
1,475 Posts
Finally starting to turn my [very] modest purchasing power towards picking up some Blue Note essentials. Who are the resident experts here? I'm looking for some suggestions or pathways to follow.
I'm not so much interested in any of the "groovy" stuff, nor the later funky stuff. The sweet spot for me seems to be about '64 when some of the talents on the label started taking the straight/bop stuff and slightly edging it into newer territory, modal experimentation, etc...
So far I'm 100% down with this one, which is an iron-clad classic:
and on the more experimental side of things:
This seems way ahead of its time. Kinda floored me when I first put it on.
Just found a nice 60s MONO press of this:
Nice straight-ahead stuff.
other nice pieces:
What's next from there??
I'm not so much interested in any of the "groovy" stuff, nor the later funky stuff. The sweet spot for me seems to be about '64 when some of the talents on the label started taking the straight/bop stuff and slightly edging it into newer territory, modal experimentation, etc...
So far I'm 100% down with this one, which is an iron-clad classic:
and on the more experimental side of things:
This seems way ahead of its time. Kinda floored me when I first put it on.
Just found a nice 60s MONO press of this:
Nice straight-ahead stuff.
other nice pieces:
What's next from there??
Comments
Seriously, just keep buying everything from the time period you like (1964) on Blue Note.
Then buy more earlier and later records featuring the same players on the ones you like.
If you don't like the bluesy stuff avoid Jimmy Smith and double check the personnel and song titles on the other organ players records before buying.
Blue Note werent puttin out no trash in the early 60s.
Try John Coltrane - Blue Train & Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue. These were two of the earliest Blue Notes I bought which got me hooked on the label.
Makes sense, but
A) they were exceptionally prolific during that period
which sort of goes hand in hand with
B) buying OG Blue Notes really starts to add up after like, oh... one title :P
I was going to check out Herbie's other stuff from the era for sure, Andrew Hill too. But I figured I'd see if anyone was hip to any kind of "sleeper" titles that might get overlooked or just not be as famous.
On that tip: I picked up one of these as well, which I'm still not entirely sold on. it definitely is going to require a few more listens:
Maybe we should do top 5's.
Canonball Adderley - Somethin' Else
Bud Powell - The Amazing Bud Powell Vol. 1
Larry Young - Unity
Joe Henderson - Inner Urge, In 'N Out, Page One
Wayne Shorter - Speak No Evil, Juju, Night Dreamer
Lee Morgan - The Sidewinder, Cornbread
Bobby Hutcherson - Stick Up!
Hank Mobley - Soul Station, Peckin' Time
Freddie Hubbard - Blue Spirits
Jackie McLean - Destination... Out!, Demon's Dance
it's mostly straight head but not boring like some bebop can tend to be
Grachan Moncur III's Blue Note albums are good but I prefer his releases on BYG and JCOA
they are more ambitious efforts imo
start at the top and work your way back!
higher the price the better the music!
holiday for skins 1 + 2 (although these are actually late 50's they would fit into what i think you are after)
horace silver qunintet song for my father, tokyo blues, finger poppin (basically anything between 58- and even some of serenade to a soul sister)
jimmy smith midnight special, home cookin and the sermon
donald byrd fuego, a new perspective
that is off the top of my head, i will go through some records tonight and fill in a few more personal favourites.
this is a blue note mix i made a little while ago for my own pleasure, if you require a tarck list let me know
I do think that photo on the $$$$ Hank Mobley is the sickest thing ever.
..
Song For My Father seems to get spoken of very highly, gotta check that one for sure.
EDIT: evidently Button is cool with '65, because he just mentioned Song For My Father.
I am kind of wary of Hutcherson's stuff because it's too out for me but your tastes may be more accommodating. I am the type who wants to play along with the tunes, whereas the Hutcherson may benefit recreational smoaking..
--
Thanks for that mix dL
This is what I'm listening to right now.
I like the WestCoast sound a little better than the hardbop and for a while I was collecting 10" jazz only. I like the Brubeck and the Tjader 10"s on Fantasy. Early George Shearing on Discovery. Chet Baker and Mulligan stuff on Pacific.
Westcoast also has a closer relation to brazilian bossa nova cross-over. But I don't profess to be a big Jazz longhair. I also lived in S.F. for a while, so the North Beach beatnick sound appeals.
Freddie Hubbard - Ready For Freddie
Dexter Gordon - Go
Grant Green - Idle Moments
Freddie Redd - Shades Of Redd
Lee Morgan - Vol. 3
'Compulsion' is blowing my mind this week.
"Too in to be out, too out to be in" as someone says about him somewhere. This is my favourite kind of place, as it turns out.
Not really true, I hope you are being sarcastic... A lot of Blue Note collectors know this is not the case. You might spend more for a Mono version of something on the Blue Note label but it doesn't necessarily make it better than another album. Just compare the prices that Lee Morgan's Indeed album go for in Mono original Lexington pressing. And that is by far not even Lee's best album let alone is it better than other Blue Notes out there. The fact is that it is just more obscure and so the price for it is more. And that Mobley, IMO is not the best that Blue Note has to offer. Again I hope that you are kidding. That said, some of you have some great taste from what I can tell. I lean towards the same kind of stuff from Blue Note's mid 60's.
You have a great start, Button. Every Andrew Hill is killer to me so out there and like nothing else especially Compulsion, Bobby Hutcherson put out some top notch stuff if you are into that sort of vibes style. I would move onto Sam Rivers- Contours or Fuschia Swing Song and also onto Jackie Mclean's stuff from that era. The Grachan album has a lot of the same players and styles as Jackie's Destination and One Step Beyond. And also Grachan's other album Some Other Stuff seems like part 2 of Evolution with Wayne Shorter instead of Jackie.
Larry Young's Unity is essential as well as Pete La Roca's Basra (my personal fav). Of course I am trying to cater to your personal taste from what I can see.
And I agree that everything from Herbie is brilliant, especially Speak Like a Child.
Hope this helps....
I thought by now peoples favorites would have covered most all the artists/titles from then.
I think I see a few missing.
Who rides for early/mid 60s blue notes by:
Duke Pearson
3 Sounds
Blakey
Tony (Anthony) Williams
Dorham
Braith
Roach
?
Duke Pearson - Sweet Honey Bee
3 Sounds - Out Of This World & even the earlier self titled one with the orange cover
Blakey - A Night At Birdland, Buhaina's Delight
Tony (Anthony) Williams - Spring. Lifetime
Dorham - Whistle Stop
Braith - Soul Stream, Two Souls In One
Roach - Brown Sugar, Mo Greens Please, Good Move
are all filed here.
Not BN, but beautiful straight ahead mid 60s jazz.
"Wahoo" (from '64) is a great LP IMO. Recommended.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
This is a fantastic album of musicians who were all Blue Note regulars - if it had been on Blue Note it would easily be a $500- $600 album, but because it's on Vee Jay an OG can be had for $80 or so:
Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones
If you dig Basra then definately get Inner Urge. Joe Henderson never played better IMO. Same vibe on the title track and El Barrio only even more intense.