100 Best Of Blue Note

Horace Silver - Song For My Father (1964) {Blue Note Japan, CP32-5213, Early Press}
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© 1964, 1986 Blue Note / Toshiba EMI Japan | CP32-5213
Jazz / Hard Bop / Piano

One of Blue Note's greatest mainstream hard bop dates, Song for My Father is Horace Silver's signature LP and the peak of a discography already studded with classics. Silver was always a master at balancing jumping rhythms with complex harmonies for a unique blend of earthiness and sophistication, and Song for My Father has perhaps the most sophisticated air of all his albums. Part of the reason is the faintly exotic tint that comes from Silver's flowering fascination with rhythms and modes from overseas – the bossa nova beat of the classic "Song for My Father," for example, or the Eastern-flavored theme of "Calcutta Cutie," or the tropical-sounding rhythms of "Que Pasa?"

As part of Blue Note's 60th anniversary gala, Benny Green was invited to record a selection of his favorite tunes from the label's venerable catalog. Green picked eight songs previously recorded by the likes of Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, Joe Henderson, and Dexter Gordon, then he recruited bassist Christian McBride and guitarist Russell Malone. Together, they recorded These Are Soulful Days, a splendid tribute to the glory days of Blue Note, when excellent hard bop musicians ruled the roster. Like the classic albums from the late '50s and early '60s, These Are Soulful Days clocks in at an economical 45 minutes and feels intimate. All eight songs were recorded directly to two-track, giving the music an immediate, vibrant feel.

Ike Quebec - Heavy Soul (1961) {Blue Note, RVG 7243 8 64472 2 7 rel 2005}
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© 1961, 2005 Blue Note | 7243 8 64472 2 7
Jazz / Soul Jazz / Hard Bop / Tenor Saxophone / Organ

Heavy soul from Ike Quebec – one of Blue Note's greatest players of the 78 era in the 40s, stepping out here on one of his brilliant comeback sets from the early 60s! The set features Ike blowing in an all soul jazz mode – working with a quartet that includes some great work from organist Freddie Roach – swinging here in a great straight ahead mode, and really pushing Ike to lay out some of the best solos of his later Blue Note years. There's a few tracks on the set that step out in a tight modal jazz groove – organ vamping as Ike blows away – and titles include "Heavy Soul", "Que's Dilemma", "Acquitted", and a very spooky version of "Nature Boy".

Containing 10 previously issued cuts from the back catalog of Blue Note, this mix of new and old artists takes a stab at the songbook of one of Brazil's most important artists. While some artists here may not be the best representatives for re-interpretation of Jobim, they all easily imprint their own unique styles and improvisations around his famous melodies. For the most part, these are straightforward interpretations of the originals, and while they offer nothing insightful, they do not do them a disservice, either…

While there has been an enormous number of Slade collections over the years, Shout Factory's 2004 release Get Yer Boots On: The Best of Slade is the first comprehensive U.S. compilation, containing both their '70s peak and their early-'80s comeback. If the track listing looks vaguely familiar to Slade-heads, that's because it does share numerous similarities to the 1994 British collection Wall of Hits, which also covered the band's entire career, extending it to their brief return to the U.K. charts in the early '90s.

As the man who wrote the liner notes says, Stanley Turrentine may be the only Texas tenor player to come out of Pittsburgh - and you can hear several of the reasons why in this distillation of his Blue Note dates from 1960 to 1966, plus a grand leap all the way to 1984. Though his sound can be heard as early as the fairly conventional "Little Sheri," the real soulful Turrentine begins to emerge in "Since I Fell for You" with the 3 Sounds, and really explodes in the splendid "River's Invitation," thanks in large part to Oliver Nelson's great chart and Herbie Hancock's irresistible comping. "Smiley Stacy" is a Les McCann blues swinger that inspires a tough, characteristically pointed solo from Turrentine and some real burning from McCann and bassist Herbie Lewis - and he digs deeply into "God Bless the Child," with then-wife Shirley Scott acting cool and caressing on the Hammond organ…

Stan Getz - The Complete Roost Recordings (1950-1954) {3CD Set Blue Note, Ron McMaster Remaster rel 1997}
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© 1950-54, 1997 Blue Note / Roost / Capitol | CDP 7243 8 59622 2 6
Jazz / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Saxophone

The Complete Roost Recordings is a three-disc, 59-track box set that contains all of the recordings Stan Getz made for the Roost record label in the '50s. The set includes all of his officially released sessions – including the date led by guitarist Johnny Smith, the live performances with Count Basie, and a full disc of live performances with his quintet – as well as many unreleased and alternate takes. Roost was the first label Getz recorded for as a leader, and what's surprising about these sessions is how mature he sounds here. He had already arrived at his full, rich tone and was able to improvise with skill and grace. That's what makes this box set so rewarding – it's not only historically important, but it offers a wealth of excellent music.

Many highlights of Scofield's work from his late 1980s-early 1990s tenure on Blue Note are included in this collection, which features cameos from Pat Metheny, Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, and Bill Frisell among many other all stars. Also included is material from Hand Jive, Scofield's collaboration with Eddie Harris, and an unreleased take on Wayne Shorter's "Tom Thumb".

Mirroring his onetime boss and mentor Miles Davis' own protean output, Herbie Hancock has explored hard bop, soul-jazz, fusion, funk-rock, soundtracks, hip-hop-inflected pop ("Rockit"), and many permutations in between. His early work for Blue Note, though, offers the best entrée for newcomers. Compiled from five of his albums for the label and covering a period from 1962-1968, this fine sampler includes highlights from his debut, Takin' Off ("Watermelon Man"), the classic Maiden Voyage (the title track and "Dolphin Dance"), and the early electric album Speak Like a Child (the title track and "Riot"). Add to this more indelible cuts like "Cantaloupe Island" and "One Finger Snap," not to mention the presence of numerous '60s jazz luminaries (Dexter Gordon, Freddie Hubbard, Thad Jones, Hank Mobley, Billy Higgins, et al.), and you have perfect way to get a taste of some of the best modern jazz committed to wax.